
TESTAMENT 

KkW S~, 






•RTREV'MGR 
■THOMAS J- 
CONATY-yA*^: 



i 




LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

— 

Cliap. Copyright No, 

Shelf.__._LL:__. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



AUG 31' 1898 



NEW TESTAMENT STUDIES. 



EOR NEW TESTAMENT CLASSES. 

THE NEW TESTAMENT. 

Benziger Brothers' new edition, from clear, 
legible type. 321110, flexible cloth. 

Price, net, 15 cents. 

The Right Rev. Author of " New Testament 
Studies" recommends that in classes where his book 
is used each child also have a copy of the New 
Testament (see " Hints for the Class-room," page 
10). The edition advertised above is the one he has 
used in his own classes, and the one recommended 
for this purpose. 

Resides this cheap edition, Benziger Brothers have also pub- 
lished the following editions: 

Sm.it/size. ILLUSTRATED NEW TESTAMENT. With 100 
full-page illustrations. Printed in 2 colors. 24ino, garnet cloth, 

net, 60 cents 
The same edition, printed on India paper, without illustrations. 

241110, lambskin net, $1.00. 

Large size. NEW TESTAMENT, 12MO. Large type, and 
printed from entirely new plates. The best edition published. 
i2mo, cloth, net, $1.00. 



BENZIGER BROTHERS, New York, Cincinnati, Ch 



cago. 



New Testament Studies. 



THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS IN THE 



LIFE OF OUR LORD. 



Right Rev. Mgr. THOMAS J. CONATY, D.D. 

Rector of the Catholic University, Washington. 



New York, Cincinnati, Chicago : 
BENZIGER BROTHERS, 

Printers to the Holy Apostolic See, 
1898. 



^° 1 



TRibil ©bstat 



Charles P. Grannan, D.D., 

Censor Deputatus 



1433S 



Umprimatur. 



f MICHAEL AUGUSTINE, 

Archbishop of New York. 



New York, May 23, 1898. 



m 



The Library 
of C 

.WASHIN 



2nd C V, 
1898. 



1 RECEIVED. 



Copyright, 1898, by Benzjger Brothers, 



^n 



.^i.^^ 



DEDICATION. 



TO 

THE CHILDREN 

OF THE 

NEW TESTAMENT CLASSES 

WHO WERE THE 

PRIDE AND JOY OF MY PAROCHIAL LIFE 

during my later years as 

Pastor of the Sacred Heart Church, 

Worcester, Mass., 

this labor of love is 

LOVINGLY DEDICATED. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In" presenting to the public a manual of New Testament 
Studies, the author offers to Catholic teachers and parents 
the results of special work, in a city parish, among the 
older children who met with him regularly to study the 
life of our divine Saviour, as told in the Holy Gospels. It 
was a labor of love, and the results more than repaid the 
efforts. It was prompted by the encyclical on the study 
of the Holy Scriptures, in which our Holy Father Leo 
XIII. encourages clergy and people to a greater love for 
the word of God, wherein they are to find the image of 
Christ, which, as he says, " stands out living and breath- 
ing, diffusing everywhere around, consolation in trouble, 
encouragement to virtue, and attraction to the love of 
God/' Eesponding to such an appeal, and ambitious that 
our Catholic children should be taught how to study the 
Gospels, and thus see in the written word of God the 
beauty of the life of Him who came as a Child to Beth- 
lehem that He might become a Saviour at Calvary, the 
author was led to establish some method by which, in 
simple ways, the child might be familiarized with the New 
Testament, and thus acquire a love for it and make it a 
food for daily spiritual life. 

The higher study of the New Testament has abundant 
methods at hand in admirable text-books; but the simpler 
work for young minds has as yet little means for ad- 
vancement. The system of instruction followed in this 
manual is catechetical, consisting of memory texts, moral 
thoughts, questions and answers. It opens with a series 

7 



8 INTRODUCTION. 

of preliminary lessons upon the Bible proper, its nature 
and its authority, as an introduction to that part of it 
known as the New Testament, which is proposed for 
study. The division into lessons was made for the pur- 
pose of class work, in order that, at given times, in school- 
instruction or at moments assigned for such work at home, 
the child might thus be led, in systematic ways, to regular 
work. 

The success which followed the single efforts in this 
direction resulted in the publication of the lessons in the 
form of leaflets, which have drawn forth words of kindest 
commendation from bishops, priests, and teachers who 
have introduced them into parochial and Sunday-schools, 
academies, and even training-schools, as useful methods 
for children in the study of the New Testament. Many 
who are now using these studies have been urgent in ask- 
ing that they be completed and placed in the form of a 
school manual. It is in response to these demands, and in 
the hoj)e that in this form they may continue as an aid in 
our parochial, Sunday-school, and home work, that the 
author lias consented to have them published. 

This manual does not pretend to be a complete study of 
the life of Christ. It is rather a study of a number of 
important events in His life from the Annunciation to the 
Ascension. It aims to avoid the reproach of St. Jerome, 
who says that " to be ignorant of the Scriptures is not 
to know Christ.'' The Church needs strong defenders 
against the irreligion that prevails, and in the breaking 
up of the sects she must depend upon her intelligent chil- 
dren to lead souls to the truth. In her splendid system of 
schools she reaches out to satisfy all the demands of mind 
and heart; she feels that it is necessary, now more than 
ever, to save the Bible from its enemies, to maintain its 
integrity, and to preserve it. as the written word of God. 
So she bids us study the Scriptures, reminding us, with St. 



IXTR0DUC1I0X. H 

Jerome, that "a man who is well grounded in the testi- 
monies of the Scriptures is the bulwark of the Church." 

It is needless to say that it is a most fascinating study. 
and offers all the attractions of history, geography, and 
antiquity, in their world-encircling interest, while as litera- 
ture it combines all that is highest and noblest in human 
thought. 

This manual is but a simple agency in the study of the 
Tr :ament narrative, but it may lead to other and 
better text-books; and if it do this, it will meet the wish of 
the author, who, under the inspiration of the words of our 
Sovereign Pontiff, sends forth his work to the Catholic 
schools and homes of our land, trusting that God may bless 
it sss in the noble field of Christian edncat; :::. 

The Auihoe. 

F&ist of St. Gregory Xastansen, 

M-..y 9. 1S9S. 



HINTS FOR THE CLASS-ROOM. 



In this manual, the study of each incident in the life 
of Christ is introduced by an illustration, after which 
readings from the Evangelists, referring to the event, are 
suggested. The lesson is divided into three parts: First, 
a memory text, taken either from the event under study, or 
from some discourse of Our Lord. This is to be learned 
and recited, in order that thus the child may be made 
familiar with the letter of the Gospel. Second, a reflection 
drawn from the text or the event will afford the teacher a 
chance to emphasize some moral lessons. Third, three or 
four questions explain the subject-matter under discussion. 
These questions will suggest to the teacher many others, 
germane to the lesson. There are scattered here and there, 
throughout the manual, a number of talks on the Bible 
generally, or upon some matters of Bible customs and facts 
in Bible geography, and these may go far towards giving 
to the child clear ideas as to the Bible and its relations to 
religion. 

Every student should have a New Testament, as well as 
a copy of "New Testament Studies." The references may 
thus all be verified, and the pupils familiarized with the 
Sacred Text. 

A Bible Dictionary, containing all the proper names used 
in the studies, will be found at the end of the manual. 

Review Exercises, modelled upon the one given on page 
99, should be given by the teacher during the year. 

Among the many aids that will prove valuable in the 
study of New Testament history, the following, used by 
the author in his class-work, maybe mentioned: Maps of 
Palestine, ancient and modern ; Harris' Charts ; Bible 
Kindergarten, published by Milton Bradley & Co., Spring- 
field, Mass. ; Smith's "Dictionary of the Bible"; (Jigot's 
'' Outlines of New Testament History" ; Cambridge Aids: 
"Life of Christ," by Fonard, Maas, Formby ; Geikie's 
"Hours with the Bible." 

10 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Dedication 5 

Introduction 7 

Hints for the Class-Boom 10 



PRELIMINARY STUDIES. 



PAGE 

Lesson I. 19 

Lesson II 20 

Lesson III 20 

Lesson IV . ... 21 

Lesson V 21 

Bible Talks : Why we should Love the Bible . 

Lesson XI 26 

Lesson XII 27 

Lesson XIII 27 

Lesson XIV 23 

Lesson XV 28 

Lesson XVI... 29 

Lesson XVII 29 

Lesson XVIII 29 



PAGE 

Lesson VI 22 

Lesson VII 22 

Lesson VIII 23 

Lesson IX 23 

Lesson X 24 

24 

Lesson XIX 30 

Lesson XX 31 

Lesson XXI 31 

Lesson XXII 32 

Lesson XXIII 32 

Lesson XXIV 33 

Lesson XXV 33 

Lesson XXVI 34 



Bible Talks : Inspiration of the Bible 34 

Lesson XXVII 36 Lesson XXIX 37 

Lesson XXVIII 36 Lesson XXX 37 



THE LIFE OP OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR. 

PART I. 

BEFORE BETHLEHEM. 



IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD. 



Lesson XXXT. . 
Lesson XXXI I 



39 

30 



Lesson XXXIII 40 

Lesson XXXIV. ........... 40 



11 



12 



CONTENTS. 



BIRTH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST FORETOLD. 



PAGE 

Lesson XXXV 42 

Lesson XXXVI 42 

Lesson XXXVII 43 

Bible Talks : The Temple at Jerusalem 44 



Lesson XXXVIII 43 

Lesson XXXIX 44 



THE ANNUNCIATION. 



Lesson XL 45 

Lesson X LI 46 



Lesson XLII 47 

Lesson XLIII 48 



THE VISITATION. 



Lesson XLIV 48 

Lesson XLV 50 



Lesson XLVI 50 

Lesson XLV II 51 



BIRTH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST. 



Lesson XLVI 1 1 52 

Lesson XLIX 53 

Lesson L 54 

Bible Talks : How to Interpret the Bible 



Lesson LI 54 

Lesson LI 1 55 



56 



PART II. 
THE INFANCY OF CHRIST 



THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST. 



Lesson LITI 58 

Lesson LI V 59 

Lesson LV GO 



Lesson LV1 60 

Lesson LVI1 (i 1 



THE PRESENTATION. 



Lesson LVIII 02 

Lesson LIX 63 



Lesson LX. 
Lesson LX1 



64 
64 



CONTENTS. 



13 



THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI. 



Lesson LXII 65 

Lesson LXIII 67 



Lesson LXIV 67 

Lesson LXV 68 



Bible Talks : How to Interpret the Bible (continued) 69 



THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT. 



Lesson LX VI 70 

Lesson LXVII 71 

Lesson LXV1II 72 



Lesson LXIX 73 

Lesson LXX 73 



PAET III. 

THE YOUTH OF CHRIST. 

THE BOYHOOD OF CHRIST. 



Lesson LXXI 
Lesson LXXII 



Lesson LXXIII 77 

Lesson LXXIY 78 



Bible Talks : Bible Geography 78 



JESUS IN THE TEMPLE. 



Lesson LXXV . 
Lesson LXXVI 



80 
80 



Lesson LXXVII 81 

Lesson LXXVIII 82 



Bible Talks : Jewish Customs for Youth 83 



PREACHING OF JOHN IN THE DESERT. 

Lesson LXXIX 84 Lesson LXXXII 

Lesson LXXX 85 Lesson LXXXIII ... . 

Lesson LXXXI 86 

Bible Talks : Nazareth and the Education of the Jews 



86 

87 



14 CONTENTS. 

PART IV. 
PREPARATION FOR PUBLIC LIFE. 

THE BAPTISM OF JESUS IN THE JORDAN. 



Lesson LXXXIV 91 

Lesson LXXXV 91 



PAGE PAGE 

Lesson LXXXVI 92 

Lesson LXXXVII 93 



THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS. 

Lesson LXXXVIII 93 I Lesson XCI 96 

Lesson LXXXIX 95 l Lesson XCII 97 

Lesson XC 95 | 

Bible Talks : Journeys of Jesus , . . 98 

REVIEW. 

LessonXCIII 99 I Lesson XCV 99 

Lesson XCIV 99 | Lesson XCVT 100 

Bible Talks : The Bible and Tradition 100 



PART V. 

THE P U B L I C LIFE OF C H R I S T. 

First Year of His Ministry. 

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST ANNOUNCES CHRIST. 

Lesson XCVII .. 103 | Lesson XCIX 104 

Lesson XCVIII 104 | Lesson C 105 

THE MIRACLE AT CANA. 

Lesson CI 106 I Lesson CIV 109 

Lessou CII 107 l Lesson CV 109 

Lesson GUI 108 | 

Bible Talks : A Jewish Marriage 110 



CONTENTS. 1 5 



JESUS AT CAPHARNAUM. 



Lesson CVI Ill 

Lesson OVII 112 



Lesson C VIII 113 

Lesson CIX 113 



Bible Talks : The Bible and Tradition (continued) 114 

CHRIST PURGES THE TEMPLE. 

Lesson CX 116 j Lesson CXII 118 

Lesson CXI 117 | Lesson CXIII 118 

JESUS AND NICODEMUS. 



Lesson CXIV 119 

Lesson CXV 121 

Lesson CXVI 121 



Lesson CXVII 122 

Lesson CXVIII 123 



JESUS AND THE SAMARITAN WOMAN. 

Lesson CXIX 124 I Lesson CXXT 128 

Lesson CXX 125 | Lesson CXXII 127 

Bible Talks : The Catholic Church Loves the Bible 128 



HEALING OF THE NOBLEMAN S SON. 

Lesson CXXIII 130 I Lesson CXXV 132 

Lesson CXXIV 131 | Lesson CXXVI .133 

JESUS AT NAZARETH. 

Lesson CXXVII 134 I Lesson CXXIX 136 

Lesson CXXVIII 135 | Lesson CXXX 137 



Second Year of Christ's Ministry. 

CHRIST'S FIRST DISCIPLES. 



Lesson CXXXIV 141 

Lesson CXXX V 141 



Lesson CXXXI 138 

Lesson CXXXII 139 

Lesson CXXXII 1 140 

Bible Talks : The Catholic Church Preserved the Bible 142 



16 CONTENTS. 



THE CALL OF ST. MATTHEW. 

PAGE PAGE 

Lesson CXXXVI 145 | Lesson CXXXVIII 146 

Lesson CXXXVII 145 ! Lesson CXXXIX 147 

Bible Talks. The Dead Sea 148 

THE CALL OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES. 

Lesson CXL 149 | Lesson CXLTI 151 

Lesson CXLT 150 | Lesson CXLII1 151 

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 

Lesson CXLIV 152 I Lesson CXLVI 155 

Lesson CXLY 154 | Lesson CXLVII 156 

Bible Talks. The Bible and the People 156 



Third Year of Christ's Ministry. 

MULTIPLICATION OF THE LOAVES AND FISHES. 

Lesson CXLVIIT 158 l Lesson CI 161 

Lesson CXLIX 160 | Lesson CLI 162 

CHRIST PROMISES THE EUCHARIST. 

Lesson CLII 163 I Lesson CLTV 165 

Lesson CLIII 164 | Lesson CLV 166 

PARABLES OF CHRIST. 

Lesson CLVI 167 I Lesson CLVIIT 1 69 

Lesson CLVII 168 | Lesson CLIX 171 

Bible Talks. The Bible and the People (continued) 171 



Miracles of Christ. 

1. The Widow of Nairn. 
Lesson CLX 174 1 Lesson CLXI, 175 



CONTENTS. 17 



2. The Ruler's Daughter. 

PAGE PAGE 

Lesson CLXII 176 I Lesson CLXIII 177 

THE TRANSFIGURATION. 

Lesson CLXIV 178 I Lesson CLXVI 181 

Lesson CLXV ISO | Lesson CLXVII 182 

THE RAISING OF LAZARUS. 

Lesson CLXYIII 183 I Lesson CLXX 185 

Lesson CLXIX 184 | Lesson CLXXI 186 

Bible Talks. The Bible and the People (concluded)... 187 

THE RICH YOUNG MAN. 

Lesson CLXXTI 188 j Lesson CLXXIV 191 

Lesson CLXX1II 190 Lesson CLXXV 192 



Holy Week. 

THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM. 

Lesson CLXXVL . 193 I Lesson CLXXVIII 195 

Lesson CLXXVII 194 | Lesson CLXXIX 196 

THE LAST SUPPER. 

Lesson CLXXX 197 I Lesson CLXXXII 199 

Lesson CLXXXI . . 198 | Lesson CLXXXIII 200 

CHRIST AT GETHSEMANI. 

Lesson CLXXXIV 201 I Lesson CLXXXVI 204 

Lesson CLXXXV 203 | Lesson CLXXXVII 205 

Bible Talks : Douay College 206 

The Day of the Passion. 

THE BETRAYAL. 

Lesson CLXXXVIII 207 j Lesson CXC 209 

Lesson CLXXXIX 208 Lesson CXCI 210 



18 CONTENTS. 



CHRIST BEFORE THE HIGH PRIEST. 

PAGE PAGE 

Lesson CXCII 212 | Lesson CXCIV 214 

Lesson CXCIII 213 | Lesson CXCV. 215 

JESUS BEFORE PILATE. 

Lesson CXCVI 216 i Lesson CXCVIII 218 

Lesson CXCVII 217 | Lesson CXCIX 219 

JESUS CONDEMNED TO DEATH. 

Lesson CC 220 

Lesson CCI 222 



Lesson CCII 


223 


Lesson CCTII 


224 


CIFIXION. 

Lesson CCVI 


227 


Lesson CCVII 


228 



Lesson CCIV 225 

Lesson GOV 226 



The Days of Triumph. 

THE RESURRECTION.. 

Lesson CCVIII 229 | Lesson CCIX 231 

THE WOMEN OF THE RESURRECTION. 

Lesson CCX 232 | Lesson CCXI 234 

THE RISEN CHRIST WITH HIS APOSTLES. 

Lesson CCXII 235 

PRIMACY OF ST. PETER. 

Lesson CCXIII 236 

THE ASCENSION. 

Lesson CCXIV 239 

Bible Dictionary 241 



NEW TESTAMENT STUDIES. 



PRELIMINARY STUDIES. 
LESSON I. 

Text.— "And you shall give testimony, because you are with 
Me from the beginning.' 1 (John xv. 27.) 
Reflection. — Mission of the apostles. 




1. What is the Bible? 

The Bible is the written word of God. 

2. Into what parts is the Bible divided? 
Into the Old and New Testaments. 

3. What is meant by Testament? 

Testament here means the record of the alliance or cove- 
nant of God with man. 

19 



20 PRELIMINARY STUDIES. 

4. What is meant by the Old Testament? 

The record of the alliance or covenant of God with the 
Jews through Moses. 

LESSON II. 

Text. — "He that loveth Me not, keepeth not My words." 
(John xiv. 24.; 

Reflection. — True Christian life. 

5. What is meant by the New Testament? 

The record of the alliance or covenant of God with the 
Christian people through Jesus Christ. 

6. In what does the Bible differ from other books? 

In this, that it alone is inspired by God. 

7. What do you mean by inspiration? 

I mean that God influences the mind of the writer, 
moving him to write, and so acting on him while he writes 
that his writing is the word of God. 

8. Why did God do this? 

One reason is in order to preserve accurately the record 
of God's dealings with men. 

LESSON III. 

Text.— "All power is given to Me in heaven and in earth ; 
going therefore teach ye all nations." (Matt, xxviii. 18, 19.) 
Reflection. — Authority of the Church. 

9. Is the Bible, then, the word of God? 

Yes, it is, because God inspired those who wrote it. 

10. Can the Bible contain any errors? 

It cannot, because it is the inspired word of God. 

11. Can the Bible be opposed to science? 

Certainly not, because science is but the knowledge of 
nature, and God is the author of nature as well as of the 
Bible. 



PRELIMINARY STUDIES. 21 

12. Was the Bible written to teach science? 

No, it was written to teach us principally what God has 
done for man, and what man must do for God. 



LESSON IV. 

Text. — " Go out into the highways and hedges: and compel 
them to come in, that My house may be filled." (Luke xiv. 23.) 
Reflection. — The Eucharistic banquet. 

13. Are there great scientists who make science agree 
with the Bible ? 

There certainly are many great men who hold that no 
scientific error is taught in the Bible. 

14. Who wrote the first books of the Old Testament, 
and when ? 

Moses wrote the first five books, about 1500 years before 
Christ and 2500 years after Adam. 

15. What is the authority for the books of the Bible? 

In the Old Law, for the Jews it was the Jewish syna- 
gogue; and for us it is the Catholic Church, commissioned 
by Christ to teach all truth. The Church tells us which 
books are inspired and which form the Bible. 

LESSON V. 

Text. — " But one of the soldiers with a spear opened His side, 
and immediately there came out blood and water." (John xix. 
34.) 

Reflection. — Love of the Sacred Heart. 

16. What does the word canon mean? 

It is from the Greek and means rule or catalogue. 

17. What is meant by canon of Scripture, or sacred 
canon ? 

It means the list or catalogue of sacred hooks which are 
declared by competent authority to be the rule or standard 
of faith and morals. 



22 PRELIMIXARY STUDIES. 

18. Is it the only standard of life? 
By no means, as those books do not contain all that is to 
be believed or done. 



LESSON VI. 

Text. — ''Ask : and it shall be given yon : seek, and yon shall 
find ; knock, and it shall be opened to you." (Luke xi. 9.) 
Reflection. — Power of prayer. 

19. Into how many classes do you divide the books 
of Scripture ? 

Into proto-canonical and deutero-canonical books. 

20. What do you mean by proto-canonical books? 
Tbose books which were accepted as sacred and canoni- 
cal from the beginning. 

21. What is meant by deutero-canonical? 

Those books about the sacred character of which some 
doubt for a while existed. 



LESSON VII. 

Text. — " Master, we have labored all the night, and have taken 
nothing." (Luke v. 5.) 
Reflection. — Faith in God. 

22. When were the first books of the Bible gathered 
together in one volume ? 

Probably in the days of Josue, about 1400 years before 

Christ. 

23. What books did it contain? 

It contained the Pentateuch, or five Books of Moses, 
to which was added the Book of Josue. 

24. When was the Jewish canon completed, and by 
whom? 

Before the coming of Christ, and by the Bynagogne. 



PRELIMINARY STUDIES. 23 



LESSON VIII. 

Text. — " If therefore thon offer thy gift at the altar, and there 
thou remember that thy brother hath anything against thee, 
leave there thy offering before the altar and go first to be recon- 
ciled to thy brother. 1 ' (Matt. v. 23, 24.) 

Reflection. — Forgiveness. 

25. Who was the writer of the first books of the Old 
Testament ? 

Moses, who wrote the Pentateuch, consisting of Genesis, 
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. 

26. Prom what sources did Moses draw for the Book 
of Genesis? 

From the oral traditions of the patriarchs and prophets 
for 2500 years. 

27. In what languages was the Old Testament 
written ? 

Hebrew, Chaldaic, and Greek. 



LESSON IX. 

Text. — "Because every one that exalteth himself, shall be 
humbled: and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted." 
(Luke xiv. 11.) 

Reflection. —The glory of humility. 

28. Name some other writers of the Old Testament 
books. 

Josue, Samuel, David, Solomon, Isaias, and Jeremias. 

29. When was the first version of the Old Testament 
made ? 

It was begun about three hundred years before Christ. 

30. What is it called, and in what language was it 
made ? 

It is called the Septnagint, and was written in Greek. 



24 PRELIMINARY STUDIES. 



LESSON X. 

Text. — "And the angel being come in said unto her [Mary]: 
Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee." (Luke i. 28.) 
KeflectiOx\.— The power of Mary's name. 

31. Whence did the Septuagint derive its name ? 

Septuagint means seventy, and is said to come from the 
tradition that seventy-two translators, six from each of the 
twelve tribes, were sent from Jerusalem to Alexandria at 
the request of Ptolemy to translate the Pentateuch. 

32. Did Christ recognize the Jewish canons ? 

Yes, and all the apostles likewise. 

33. How many books in the Old Testament ? 

As defined by the Council of Trent, there are forty-five. 



BIBLE TALKS. 
Why we should love the Bible. 

In placing before you a method for the study of the New 
Testament we hope to help you gather for your instruction some 
of the beauties of the best book ever offered to man for his read- 
ing. No pearls so precious, no flowers so fragrant, no thoughts 
so beautiful. In all literature there is no history so eventful, no 
poetry so rich in imagery, no deeds of warriors so deserving of 
imitation and praise. It is the story of Our Redeemer, it is the 
poetry of a God's love, it is the record of a God who died for us 
on a cross that we might have heaven. That we may intelli- 
gently study our New Testament, it is necessary to recall what 
the Bible itself is, for we must remember that the New Testa- 
ment is but the second part of the great book called the Bible. 

What is the Bible ? A book with history, prophecy, and moral 
teachings; a book which millions of intelligent beings look upon 
with respect and reverence, the teachings of which are accepted 
as facts, and the commandments of which are followed with 
conscientious fidelity. The Bible is not like other books, no 
matter how good they may be, nor how well written. It is the 



PRELIMINARY STUDIES. 25 

only book of its kind; it is the greatest of all books, because it 
alone is the written word of God. Men have written great books. 
Homer wrote the story of the Greeks, and his books come to us 
with all the beauty of style and all the sweet unction of a great poet, 
but at best they embody only the thought of Homer. Kempis has 
given us life thoughts which men read and love, because they are 
of the soul and lift us up to a taste of heavenly things, until the 
"Imitation" takes the character of something almost beyond the 
human, but the "Imitation " is Kempis's thought, and it is purely 
human ; but the Bible is beyond the best and purest and most 
soul-inspiring of all things written, because the Bible is not the 
thought of man, but of God— the Bible is the word of God. Of 
all books written, the Bible is the only one inspired, and the 
inspiration of the Bible is from God and makes God the very 
author of what it contains. This is why it has been called God 
under the letter, almost as Christ dwells under the appearance of 
the bread of the sacrament. The "Word made flesh dwelling on 
our altars — the Word made flesh speaking and living under the 
letters of the Book. What a treasure the Bible is ! How man 
should reverence it ! How men in every age have reverenced it ! 
The Jews listened with uncovered heads, and in the solemnity of 
the Temple, to its reading. The Christians in their churches and 
homes kissed the sacred page, and on bended knees read its 
story. The Christian councils placed it on a throne of gold, 
while lighted tapers attested that it was life for the human mind 
and heart. As of old the ark of the covenant was sacred, 
because it contained the tablets of stone; so the Bible is sacred 
because it contains what was written by the inspired author, 
what God did for mankind in the Old Law, and what Christ and 
His apostles did in the New Law. Our Bible, then, is a sacred 
book, which we should reverence. It should not be looked upon 
as a school-book, but a holy thing, to be touched with devotion 
and to be read with piety. God speaks to us from its pages, and 
we should read it as if God's voice was speaking to us. 



26 



PRELIMINARY STUDIES. 



PREUMIN^ R V STUDIES {Continued). 

LESSON XI. 

Text. — "There stood by the cross of Jesus, His mother and 
His mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene." 
(John xix. 25.) 

Reflection. — Compassion of the Blessed Virgin. 




34. How many books in the New Testament ? 
According to the Council of Trent, there are twentj- 

seven. 

35. Into what classes are they divided? 
Historical, doctrinal, and prophetical, including the 

Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, and the 
Apocalypse. 

36. Who were the authors of the New Testament ? 
Most probably the apostles and disciples whose names 



PRELIMINARY STUDIES. 27 

are attached to their writings. St. Luke wrote the Acts 
and St. John the Apocalypse. 

LESSON XII. 

Text. — " Friend, how earnest thou in hither not having on a 
wedding garment ? " (Matt. xxii. 12.) 
Reflection. — The wedding garment of divine grace. 

37. In what languages was the New Testament 
written ? 

All was written in Greek except St. Matthew's gospel, 
which is generally supposed to have been first written in 
Hebrew. 

38. When was the canon of Scripture first defined 
by the Christian Church ? 

In the Council of Hippo, in 393. 

39. What Council settled definitely the canon, as we 
now receive it ? 

The Council of Trent, in. the session of April 8, 1546. 

LESSON XIII. 

Text. — "Jesus saith to him: Go thy way, thy son liveth. The 
man believed the word which Jesus said to him and went his 
way." (John iv. 50.) 

Reflection. — The power of faith. 

40. What do you mean by versions of the Testa- 
ment? 

Translations into the many different languages. 

41. Which was the first version in which we are 
specially interested, and when was it made? 

The one in Latin, known as the Itala, because used by 
the Italian churches. It appeared in the first centuries, 
and is thought by some to have been made in Africa. 

42. What is meant by the Latin Vulgate ? 

The Vulgate means current text, and is in part the old 
Itala revised by St. Jerome, and in part a new translation 
made by him. 



28 PRELIMINARY STUDIES. 



LESSON XIV. 

Text. — "So also shall My heavenly Father do to you, if you 
forgive not every one his brother from your hearts." (Matt, 
xviii. 35.) 

Reflection. — Forgiveness. 

43. Who induced St. Jerome to do this work? 
Pope Damasus, who was governing the Catholic Church. 

44. What authority has the Vulgate? 

It is the authorized version used by the Catholic Church 
in all the liturgies of the Latin rite. 

45. What is the version called which is used in the 
English by Catholics? 

It is commonly called the Douay Bible. Part of it was 
translated at Rheims in 1582, and. part of it at Douay in 
1609. 

LESSON XV. 

Text. — "Render therefore to Ca3sar the things that are 
Caesar's; and to God, the things that are God's." (Matt. xxii. 21.) 
Reflection. — Obedience to authority. 

46. When was this version revised and adopted? 

It was revised by Bishop Challoner of England in 1750, 
reprinted in Philadelphia in 17 ( .»0 and adopted by our 
American bishops first in 1810 and again in 1837. 

47. Which are the two divisions of the New Testa- 
ment? 

(1) The Holy Gospel, and Epistles; (2) the other inspired 
writings of the apostles and disciples, namely the Acts and 
the Apocalypse. 

48. What is meant by the word gospel, and what 
does it contain ? 

It means good tidings or good message, and contains the 
life and words of Christ. 



PRELIMINARY STUDIES. 29 



LESSON XVI. 

Text. — "Be of good heart, daughter, thy faith hath made thee 
whole." (Matt. ix. 22.) 
Reflection. — Confidence in God. 

49. Are there not four gospels? 

There is but one Gospel, but there are four records, 
by writers who give the history of Christ as it appeared 
to them. 

50. Did each writer have a special object in writing 
his gospel ? 

Yes, it appears in the reason for which each one wrote. 

51. Who were the Evangelists? 

Matthew and John, who were apostles; Mark and Luke, 
who were disciples. 

LESSON XVII. 

Text. — "Go, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift 
which Moses commanded for a testimony unto them. ,, (Matt. 
viii. 4.) 

Reflection. — Foreshadowing of Confession. 

52. For whom did St. Matthew write? 

He wrote his gospel especially for the converted Jews. 

53. What object had he in writing his gospel? 

His object was to show that Christ was the Messias 
whom they expected. 

54. What is this gospel sometimes called? 
The gospel of the humanity of Christ. 

LESSON XVIII. 

Text. — " What manner of man is this, for the winds and the 
sea obey Him ? " (Matt. viii. 27.) 
Reflection. — Confidence in God. 

55. Why is St. Matthew's gospel called the gospel 
of the humanity of Christ ? 

Because not only does it open with the human genealogy 



30 PRELIMINARY STUDIES. 

of Christ, and show His descent from Adam, but also 
because it proves that He is the one foretold by the 
prophets to the Hebrews. 

56. Who was St. Matthew? 

He was a Galilean by birth, a tax-gatherer or publican 
by occupation, near Lake Genesareth, until Christ called 
him to be an apostle. He preached the Gospel in the 
East, and died for the faith. 

57. When, where, and in what language was his 
gospel written ? 

It was generally believed to have been written about 
thirteen or fourteen years after the Ascension; it was 
written in Palestine, and originally in Hebrew or Aramaic. 
It was soon translated into Greek, some say, by St. Mat- 
thew himself. This translation alone remains. 



LESSON XIX. 

Text.— "Gather up first the cockle, and bind it into bundles 
to burn, but the wheat gather ye into my barn." (Matt. xiii. 30.) 
Reflection. — The harvest-day at the Last Judgment. 

58. Who was St. Mark? 

He is thought to have been a Jew converted by St. Peter 
and made his interpreter. Mark was his Latin surname, 
his Jewish name being John, so that he was called " John 
whose surname was Mark." 

59. What object had he in writing? 

To show to the Gentiles, and especially the Romans, the 
goodness and mercy and love of Jesus Christ, as preached 
by St. Peter. 

60. Where and when was it written? 

It is commonly believed to have been written in Rome, 
during the lifetime of St. Peter, probably between A.D. 63 
and A.D. TO. 



PRELIMINARY STUDIES. 31 



LESSON XX. 

Text.— "The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard- 
seed, which a man took and sowed in his field." (Matt. xiii. 31.) 
Reflection. — The Catholic Church, the mustard-seed. 

61. What is St. Mark's gospel sometimes called, and 
why? • 

The gospel of St. Peter, because it is a record of St. 
Peter's teaching, and was written under his eye and direc- 
tion. 

62. In what language was it written? 

In Greek, which was much used at that time by the 
Church at Rome, and also in the Churches of the West. 

63. In what city did St. Mark preach? 

After the death of St. Peter, St. Mark visited Egypt, 
and founded the Church of Alexandria. His principal 
preaching was done in Alexandria. 



LESSON XXI. 

Text. — "For as lightning coraetli out of the East, and ap- 
peareth even into the West : so shall also the coming of the Son 
of man be." (Matt. xxiv. 27.) 

■Reflection.— The Last Judgment Day. 

64. Who was St. Luke ? 

He was a native of Antioch, a physician by profession, a 
convert from the Gentiles, and a disciple of St. Paul. 

65. For whom did he write his gospel? 

For those who, like himself, were converted from 
paganism. It is sometimes called the Gospel of the Greeks. 

66. What is the object of his gospel? 

To show the priestly office of Jesus Christ, and to record 
some of His conversations. 



32 PRELIMINARY STUDIES. 



LESSON XXII. 

Text. — " And then they shall see the Son of man coming in a 
cloud with great power and majesty." (Luke xxi. 27.) 
Keflection. — The Last Judgment. 

67. Why did St. Luke write his gospel? 

To prove that Christ was the Kedeemer of all men. 

68. To whom was it specially addressed? 

To Theophilus, who is supposed to have been a distin- 
guished man, one of St. Luke's converts. It seems to have 
been written especially for the Gentile converts, to whom 
this man belonged. 

69. When and where was this gospel written ? 

Either at Cesarea, a.d. 5G-58, or at Eome, a.d. 62-GG, 
probably while St. Paul was in prison. Some say that it 
was not published until after St. Paul's death. 



LESSON XXIII. 

Text. — "The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, 
the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the Gospel 
preached to them." (Matt. xi. 5.) 

Reflection. — The works of Jesus Christ. 

70. In what language was St. Luke's gospel 
written ? 

In Greek, with a style so polished as to make it the most 
classical of all the gospels. 

71. What is this gospel sometimes called? 

The gospel of consolation. 

72. Why is it so called ? 

Because it shows the mercy of Christ for all men, Jew 
and Gentile, and especially for the poor and despised. 



PItELIMIXAll 7 8TI TDIE8. 



LESS< 'X XXIV. 



Text. — " He [John] sakl : I am the voice of one crying in the 
wilderness: make straight the way of the Lord, as said the 
J >hn i. 23. > 
Reflection.— Preparation for the coming of Christ. 

73. Who was St. John? 

EEe was the brother of James and son of Zebedee, who 
was a fisherman of Galilee. 

74. What is he frequently called ? 

"The beloved disciple/' "the disciple whom Jesus 
loved." 

75. Why did St. John write his gospel ? 

That he might show the divinity of Christ, as also to 
complete the history as told by the other Evangelists. 



LESSON XXV. 

Text. — ,; Prepare ye the way of the Lord : make straight His 
paths. And all flesh shall see the salvation of God." (Luke 
iii. 4. 

Reflection. — The necessity of penance. 

76. How does St. John himself express the reason 
for his writing ? 

• • These [things] have been written that ye may believe 
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. and that believ- 
ing., ye may have life in His nam-."* (John xx. 31. | 

77. Where and when was this gospel written ? 
Most probably in Ephesus. and late in the apostle's life, 

some time after a.d. 80. 

78. In what language was it written ? 

I: ^vas written in Greek, but it has many Hebrew ex- 



3 1 PRELIMIN. 1 R Y STUDIES. 



LESSON XXVI. 

Text. "And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that out o! 
many hearts thoughts may be revealed/ 1 (Luke ii. 35.) 
Reflection.— Joy mingled with .sorrow. 

79. What is this gospel sometimes called? 

The gospel of eternity, because it. describes the eternal 
generation of Christ. Jt is also called the "gospel of 
love." 

80. What relation do the first three gospels hold to 
the fourth ? 

They lead us to see in Jesus Chris! the perfeel 8 
man, while St, John .show.- us Jesus Christ as the perfect 
Son of God. 

81. For whom, then, may we say St. John's gospel 
was written P 

For Jew ami Gentile; that tin- .)<-w may believe that 
M ssias, ami that the Gentile may see that 
e - 1 18 i- tii'- Son of God, and thus both may be 
united in faith and be saved. 



BIBLE TALKS. 

Inspiration of the Bible. 

We have seen the great trains and beauty of the Bible, and we 
honor and reverence il ■<>- the best of all boo] alone is 

the inspired word of God. Now l<-t ns understand what is meant 
when we eall it the inspired word of God. What i.s inspiration \ 
Inspiration i.-i from the Latin, and means ;< breathing into. In 
relation to the Scriptures il means thai (""I. as il were, breathed 
into the minds of the writers and assisted them to write tin; 
truth, and protected them from all falsehood. This was ;i grace 
of God bestowed upon the writers of the sacred books, and be- 
longed to the writers only for tin; work of writing tin- sacred 
Is, When their books were written, the inspiration e< 



/ 'BEL IMINARY 8 'IT 1)1 E8. 35 

According to the Church teaching, inspiration really consisted 
of two graces, one for the intellect and the other for the will. 

For example, when Moses wrote his books, or St. Matthew his 
gospel, God enlightened their minds with the knowledge of what 
they were to write, and He also moved their wills to write it. 
Thus it was not merely a message from God to men, nor a record 
of God's deeds or words, but the very word of God, and that 
word written by God through the agency of these writers. 
Hence, inspiration means that God is the agent inspiring, while 
the inspired writer is the instrument God uses, but this instru- 
ment is intelligent, free, and voluntary. In this way the in- 
spired writers retained ail their characteristics as writers, and 
their style was their own. Hear how the learned St. Jerome 
expresses it: " Isaias the prophet had the style of a nobleman and 
the eloquence of the city, while Jeremias the prophet had the 
rustic style of the villager of Anathoth, but the truths w T ere equal 
as prophesied by the Spirit." It is the original manuscript, the 
autographic copy, that is inspired. The copies of the original 
and the translations are inspired only inasmuch as they are con- 
formable to the original autographic copy. The translation is 
called authentic or without error, and has to be approved, by the 
Church, in order to be accepted. Among the Jews before Christ, 
the canon of Scripture, or the books used by the synagogue, as 
the teaching tribunal was called, were received as inspired, and 
Our Saviour and the apostles quoted from them as the word 
of God. 

Several of the great Councils of the Church teach us the inspi- 
ration of the Sacred Scriptures, and we find that the Vatican 
Council, held m 1870, repeats what all the others had said in 
their words about the Bible: "These books the Church holds 
sacred because they were written by the inspiration of the Holy 
Ghost and have God for their author." Now you understand 
what is meant by the inspiration of the Bible. You can see, 
therefore, what a holy book the Bible is, and why we reverence 
it as the word of God. 



36 PHELIMIXARY STUDIES. 



LESSON XXVII. 

Text. — " For we have seen His star in the East, and are come 
to adore Him." (Matt. ii. 2.) 
Reflection. — Faith of the wise men. 

82. Did any of the prophecies of the Old Testament 
refer to the Evangelists ? 

Yes; it is supposed that in the first chapter of Ezechiel 
they were prefigured hy the four cherubim. 

83. To whom did these cherubim appear ? 

To the prophet Ezechiel, in a vision. See Ezechiel, 
chap. 1. 

84. In what form did they appear ? 

With the face of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. 

LESSON XXVIII. 

Text. — " And when he was twelve years old, they going into 
Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast, and having ful- 
filled the days, when they returned, the child Jesus remained in 
Jerusalem." (Luke ii. 42, 43.) 

Reflection. — Fidelity to Church laws. 

85. How is this vision explained ? 

According to St. Jerome, the man refers to St. Matthew, 
the lion to St. Mark, the ox to St. Luke, the eagle to 
St. John. 

86. Do you find this in the character of their 
gospels ? 

Yes. St. Matthew deals with the humanity of Christ; 
St. Mark with His royalty; St. Luke with His priesthood; 
and St. John with His divinity. 

87. How do you find the royalty in the lion ? 

The lion is the king of all beasts, and St. Mark opens 
his gospel with the roaring of the lion of penance, the 
great St. John the Baptist. 



PRELIMINARY STUDIES. 37 



LESSON XXIX. 

Text. — " His mother saith to the waiters: Whatsoever He shall 
say to you, do ye."' (John ii. 5.) 

Reflection. — Influence of Mary with Jesus. 

88. How do you find the priesthood prefigured in 
the ox ? 

By the sacrifices of the Jewish priesthood, with which 
St. Luke opens his gospel. 

89. Are these figures used as emblems of the 
Evangelists ? 

Yes, Christian art has so consecrated them. 

90. Who tells us that this is the correct meaning of 
the figures ? 

It is largely based upon the commentaries of the Fathers 
who explain them to us. 

LESSON XXX. 

Text. — "And behold a leper came and adored Him, saying: 
Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean." (Matt. viii. 2.) 
Reflection.— The leprosy of sin. 

91. What are the gospels of St. Matthew, St. Mark, 
and St. Luke, when taken together, sometimes called ? 

They are called the synoptic gospels because, when ar- 
ranged in sections of parallel columns, they give a general 
yiew of Our Lord's life and teachings. 

92. What is the gospel of St. John called in relation 
to these ? 

It is called the supplementary or doctrinal gospel. 

93. On what do we rely for the true sense of the 
Bible ? 

Upon the decrees of the Church and interpretations of 
the Fathers, w 7 ho in all ages have expressed the sense of 
the Church, which has been authorized by Christ to teach 
mankind. 



THE LIFE OF OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR. 



F»^ RT I. 

Before JSetblebem, 



In the Beginning was the Word." 




Read carefully and memorize verses 1-14 of the First Chapter 
vpel. 



IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD." 39 



LESSON XXXI. 

Text. — " And His disciples came to Him, and awaked Him, 
saying : Lord, save us, we perish." (Matt. viii. 25.) 
Reflection. — How near God is to us always. 

94. In studying the life of Christ what is the first 
element to be considered ? 

That Christ is the Son of God, existing from all eternity, 
and having the very nature of God; in fact, that He is God. 

95. Where do we find this taught in the Gospel? 

In the gospel of St. John, chap, i., verses 1 to 5. 

96. Will you repeat the words of the Gospel? 

1. "In the beginning was the Word, and the "Word was 
with God, and the Word was God. 

2. " The same was in the beginning with God. 

3. " All things were made by Him : and without Him was 
made nothing that was made. 

4. " In Him was life, and the life was the light of men: 

5. " And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness 
did not comprehend it/' 



LESSON XXXII. 

Text. — "Call the laborers and pay them their hire, beginning 
from the last even to the first." (Matt. xx. 8.) 
Reflection. — God's reward for service. 

97. What does the Evangelist mean by those words 
" In the beginning " ? 

He wishes to express the idea that Christ existed before 
the creation of the world or anything else that was created. 

98. What does he mean by the "Word"? 

He thus names the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, 



40 BEFORE BETHLEHEM. 

the Son of God. who is the Word of the Father, who thus 
reveals Himself. 

99. Can you give some indication of this in human 
speech? 

The word we utter is the expression of our thought. 
Christ is the expression of the thought of God, the Father. 



LESSON XXXIII. 

Text. — "And other some fell among thorns, and the thorns 
growing up with it, choked it." (Lnke viii. 7.) 
Reflection. — God's grace choked by human passions. 

100. Why does he say "the Word was 'God "? 
Because, being of the same nature as the Father, Christ 

is God like unto Him, distinct from Ilim, but equal to 
Him. 

101. Does what follows explain this more fully? 
Yes. lie tells that all things were created by Him, and 

that He is " Light" and "Life," all of which can be said 
of no one but God. 

102. What does he mean by calling His "Life" the 
"Light" of the world? 

He means that He is the true light to illumine the world 
and show men the truth of God. 



LESSON XXXIV. 

Text.— "What wilt thou that T do to thee? But he said: 
Lord, thai I may see." (Luke xviii. 41.) 
Reflection.— The blindness of sin. 

103. How does St. John express the eoming of Christ 
to redeem mankind? 

"And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." 
(John i. 14.) 



BIRTH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST FORETOLD. 41 

104. What fact is here narrated? 

The historical fact that the Word came into the world, 
manifesting Himself in the form of a man with flesh and 
blood like ours. 

105. What do those words prove ? 

That the Son of God did not merely assume a body, but 
that He became man, and by the Incarnation God and man 
exist in one person, and that person is Jesus Christ, whose 
life we are studying. 



Birth of St. John the Baptist Foretold. 




Read carefully and study closely verses 5-25 of the First 
Chapter of St. Iu~ke. 

Read alout the Temple of Jerusalem. 



42 " BEFORE BETHLEHEM. 



LESSON XXXV. 

Text. — "And they were both just before God, walking in all 
the commandments and justifications of the Lord without blame." 
(Luke i. 6.) 

Reflection. — Good people in a wicked world. 

106. Which Herod is referred to in this first chapter 
of St. Luke? 

Herod the Great, who slew the holy innocents. He was 
king of Judea, a Jew in religion, but an Idumean in race. 
It was his son who put John the Baptist to death and 
mocked Christ. 

107. What was Zachary's relation to the Temple? 

lie was a priest of the Course of Abia, who w r as the 
chief priest of the Course. 

108. What is meant by the Course of Abia? 

The priesthood was divided into twenty-four Courses or 
Classes, to which Mas entrusted the care of sacred worship. 
Abia was the head of the Eighth Course. 



LESSON XXXVI. 

Text. — " But the angel said to him : Fear not, Zachary, for thy 
prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son and 
thou shall call his name John." (Luke i. 13.) 
Reflection. — Power of prayer. 

109. To what tribe did these two holy persons be- 
long? 

To the tribe of Levi and the family of Aaron, and hence 
were of priestly rank as well as of the Jewish nobility. 

110. What was the priest's office? 

To offer sacrifice in the Temple, to burn incense at the 
altar, to cafe for the lumps, and to renew the sliowbread. 



BIRTH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST FORETOLD. 43 

111. What Temple is here referred to? 

The Temple of Jerusalem, built, in great magnificence, 
by Herod the Great. 

LESSON XXXVIT. 

Text. — "For lie shall be great before the Lord: and shall drink 
no wine nor strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy 
Ghost even from his mother's womb." (Luke i. 15.) 

Reflection.— The virtues of St. John the Baptist. 

112. How many principal parts had the Temple? 

Three parts : the Entrance-hall, the Holy Place, and the 
Holy of holies. 

113. Where was Zachary when the angel appeared? 

Near the golden altar of incense, which stood within the 
Holy Place; back of the altar was the veil which marked 
the Holy of holies. 

114. Was a priest called frequently to minister at 
the altar of incense ? 

No, not more than twice in his life, because he had to 
take bis turn, which came seldom to each one of twenty 
thousand priests. 

LESSON XXXVIII. 

Text. — "And the angel answering, said to him: I am Gabriel, 
who stand before God : and am sent to speak to thee, and to 
bring thee these good tidings." (Luke i. 19.) 

Reflection. — Mission of the angels. 

115. What hours were prescribed for the burning of 
incense at the golden altar ? 

At nine in the morning and three in the afternoon. 

116. What peculiar dress was worn by the priest at 
this ceremony ? 

He wore white robes and, with unsandalled feet, stood 
ready to burn the incense as soon as the holocaust was 
offered at the great altar in the court. 



44 BEFORE BETHLEHEM. 

117. What did the angel foretell to Zachary? 

The birth of a son who would be great, because he was 
destined to go before the Saviour and thus be the Precursor 
or Forerunner. 

LESSON XXXIX. 

Text. — " And when he came out lie could not speak to them, 
and they understood that lie had seen a vision in the Temple. 
And he made signs to them, and remained dumb. 1 ' (Luke i. 22.) 

Reflection. — Punishment for unbelief. 

118. How did Zachary receive the promise, and what 
was his punishment? 

lie doubted the word of the angel because of his own 
extreme age, and lie was stricken with dumbness as a 
punishment and a confirmation of the promise. 

119. How did Elizabeth receive the word? 

"With joy and happiness, because, like all Jewish women, 
she hoped to be the mother of the Redeemer. 

120. What name was to be given to this child? 
John was the name given by the angel Gabriel. He was 

afterwards to be known as the Baptist, because he baptized. 



BIBLE TALKS. 

The Temple at Jerusalem. 

The great King David proposed to replace the Tabernacle and 
build a temple which would be worthy of the Jewish nation. 
His son Solomon was destined to perform this work, and he built 
a magnificent temple in Jerusalem, which was the pride and 
glory of all Hebrews. There were three temples, one succeeding 
the other. The first, beautifully pictured in 2 Paralipomenon, 
chap, hi., was called the temple of Solomon and was dedicated 
n.c. 1004, four hundred and eighty-six years after the dedication 
of the Tabernacle. It was destroyed by Nabuchodonosor. .The 
s.-cond was the temple of Zorobabel and was dedicated four 
hundred and eighty-nine years after Solomon's, in the year 



THE ANNUNCIATION. 45 

515 B.C. This is described in 1 Esdras vi. 3. The third was the 
temple of Herod, built four hundred and ninety-seven years later, 
from the remains of Zorobabel's, in the year 18 B.C. It lasted 
eighty-eight years and was destroyed under Titus, when Jerusalem 
was captured. Solomon's temple was the richest. It was built on 
the same plan as the Tabernacle, but it was twice its size. It was 
finished in carved cedar, fir, olive, and gold. Large courts sur- 
rounded the building, one for the priests and one for the people. 
The third temple, which w T as the one spoken of in our lesson, 
was a magnificent structure. Years were given to complete the 
Work. Josephus, the Jewish historian, says of it: "To strangers, 
who were approaching, it appeared at a distance like a mountain 
covered with snow; for where it was not decorated with plates of 
gold it was extremely white and glistening." From this temple 
Christ drove the buyers and sellers. 



The Annunciation. 

Read carefully and study verses 26-40 of the First Chapter 
of ISt. Luke. 

LESSON XL. 

Text. — "And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent 
from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, To a virgin 
espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of 
David : and the virgin's name was Mary." (Luke i. 2G, 27.) 

Reflection. — The mission of the angels. 

121. What is meant by the sixth month? 

It means that six months had elapsed from the visit of 
the angel to Zachary until his visit to the Blessed Virgin 
at Nazareth. 

122. Had Galilee been mentioned by any of the 
great prophets in connection with Our Saviour ? 

Yes, in Isaias ix. 1, 2, where it is spoken of as the 
scene of Christ's labors by which light comes to the people 
in darkness. 



40 



BEFORE BETHLEHEM. 



123. What can you tell us of Galilee? 
Galilee was one of the four great Koman divisions of 
Palestine, north of Judea and Samaria, west of Perea, and 




comprised the territories of Zabulon, Nephthali, Issachar, 
and Asher. It was rich and populous, and had many 
large towns. 



LESSON XLI. 

Text. — "And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail 
full of grace: the Lord is with thee: Blessed art thou among 
women." (Luke i. 28.) 

Reflection. — The virtues of our blessed Mother. 

124. What do we know of Nazareth? 
It was a secluded and obscure village of Galilee, lying 
in a narrow cleft of the hills, which formed the boundary 



THE ANNUNCIATION* 47 

of the territory of Zabulon to the north of the plain 
of Esdrelon. 

125. Who is the Mary spoken of by St. Luke? 

She is the virgin, betrothed to Joseph, and is the 
daughter of Joachim and Anna, and like Joseph belonged 
to the royal family of David. At three years of age, in 
the Temple, she consecrated her life to virginity. 

126. Had this virgin been spoken of by the prophets ? 
Yes; Isaias, in the famous prophecy, chap, vii., v. 14, 

says: "Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, 
and his name shall be called Emmanuel/' The Catholic 
Church teaches us that this refers to the Virgin Mary, 
Mother of Christ. 

LESSON XLII. 

Text. — "And the angel said to her : Fear not, Mary, for thou 
hast found grace with God." (Luke i. 30.) 
Reflection. — God's reward for virtue. 

127. What do you know of Joseph spoken of in the 
Gospel ? 

He was the son of Ileli, and he was of the house and 
lineage of David. He was betrothed to the Blessed 
A^irgin shortly before the Annunciation, and was a just 
man, who by his labor supported Mary and Jesus in 
Nazareth. 

128. What was meant by the salutation of the angel? 

It meant that Mary had received the fulness of sanctify- 
ing grace, and that there was no sin in her who was 
" blessed among women " and with whom "the Lord is." 

129. Why was Mary troubled at the words of the 
angel ? 

Zachary was troubled at the very sight of the angel, but 
Mary was troubled at his words, and she wondered what 
they could mean, and wdiether the message was really from 



IS BEFORE BETHLEHEM. 



God. She thought of her tow, and wondered how the 
message of the angel could be reconciled with it. 



LESSON XLIII. 

Text.— "Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt 
bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus." (Luke i. 

81.)* 

Reflection. — Jesus our Saviour. 

130. How did the angel receive her questions? 

He answered by explaining to her how the Holy Spirit 
would effect the mystery of the Incarnation and that, while 
remaining a virgin, she would be blessed with the mother- 
hood of Christ. 

131. How did Mary receive this explanation? 

\\\ obedience to the will of God she acknowledged 
herself His handmaid, ready to accept the mission assigned 
to her. 

132. What happened then? 

Immediately, by the power of the Holy Ghost, our divine 
Saviour became incarnate, the Word was made llesh, and 
the mystery of the Incarnation took place. 



The Visitation. 

Read carefully and study verses 40-50 of the First Chapter of 
St. Luke's yospd, and especially the " Magnificat ," verses 46^55. 

LESSON XL1V. 

Text. — " And Mary rising up in those days, went unto the hill 
country with haste, into a city of Juda: And she entered into the 
house of Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth. " (Luke i. 39, 40.) 

Beflection. — The charity of the Blessed Virgin. 



THE VISITATION. 



49 



133. How soon after the Annunciation did the 
Blessed Virgin visit Elizabeth ? 

The words "In those days'' would lead us to infer that 
it was very soon, and it is generally supposed to have been 
shortly afterwards. 

134. Why did Mary make this visit? 

That she might see the fulfilment of the angel's proph- 
ecy, rejoice with her cousin St. Elizabeth, and by the pres- 




ence of Our Saviour, sanctify John the Baptist before his 
birth, and thus prepare him for his work, as forerunner of 
the redemption. 

135. What is meant by the "hill country"? 

Palestine, west of the Jordan, had one portion formed 
by a mass of low rounded hills which cou^rised most of 
the Roman provinces of Samaria and Judea. This was 
called the ''hill country" 



50 BEFORE BETHLEHEM. 

LESSON XLV. 

Text.— "And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. And 
she cried out with a loud voice : Blessed art thou among women, 
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, 
that the Mother of my Lord should come to me ?" (Lukei. 42, 43.) 

Reflection. — The great dignity of the Mother of Jesus. 

136. What city of Juda is referred to in the pre- 
ceding lesson? 

Some think it was Hebron ; others that it was a small 
village where Zachary lived, about six miles west of Jeru- 
salem, about seventy or eighty miles from Kazareth, and 
known as " St. John in the Mountain." The journey must 
have taken three or four days. 

137. What time in the year was this journey? 

It is generally believed to have been in the latter 
part of April, as the Annunciation of the angel occurred 
on March 25th. 

138. How did Elizabeth receive her? 

AVith joy and humility; and inspired by God she cried 
out: "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the 
fruit of thy womb." Then she saluted her as the Mother 
of God, exclaiming: "Whence is this to me, that the 
Mother of my Lord should come to me ?" 

LESSON XLVI. 

Text— "And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord: 
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Because He 
hath regarded the humility of His handmaid : for behold from 
henceforth all generations shall call me blessed." (Luke i. 46-48.) 

Reflection. — Why we honor the Blessed Virgin. 

139. How did Mary receive the praises of St. Eliza- 
beth ? 

AVith a humility which came from a sense of her own 
un worthiness and God's great goodness to her. 



THE VISITATION. 51 

140. How did she express herself? 

Inspired by God, she sung the beautiful canticle of the 
•'Magnificat." It is so called because in the Latin the 
first word is " Magnificat," or "doth magnify." 

141. What do we find in this canticle? 

Intense religious fervor, intellectual force, and a most 
charming simplicity, which show the beauty and nobility of 
the character of Mary. 



LESSON XLVII. 

Text. — "He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and 
hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good 
things: and the rich He hath sent empty away." (Luke i. 52, 53.) 

Reflection.— Ke ward of humility. 

142. How may the "Magnificat" be divided and 
analyzed ? 

It may be divided into four parts : 

1. Personal gratitude for favors bestowed upon herself. 
(Lukei. 46-48.) 

2. Praise of God's power and mercy. (Luke i. 49, 50.) 

3. Humility rewarded and pride punished. (Luke i. 
51-53.) 

4. God's faithfulness to all His promises. (Luke i. 
54, 55.) 

143. Are there hymns in the Old Testament some- 
what resembling the "Magnificat," and would Mary 
be likely to know them ? 

Yes; the hymn of Judith (Judith xvi. 1-17), and that 
of Anna the mother of Samuel (1 Kings ii. 1-10), but 
especially the latter. Every Hebrew child was taught 
these and other hymns, and sang them at the feasts in 
Jerusalem. 



52 



BEFORE BETHLEHEM. 



144. How long did Mary remain with St. Eliza- 
beth? 

The Gospel says that " Mary abode with her about three 
months." Some think she remained until after the birth 
of John the Baptist. 



Birth of St. John the Baptist. 



v7 ,/"'^ ' 



iW 



mijj-: t 





Bead carefully and study verses 57-80 of the First Chapter 
of St. Lake's gospel. Compare them with verses G, 7, 8, and 15- 
36 of the First Chapter of St. John's gospel. 



LESSON XLVIII. 



Text. — "And it came to pass that on the eighth day they 
came to circumcise the child, and they called him by his father's 



BIRTH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST. 53 

name Zsichary. And his mother answering, said: Not so, but he 
shall be called John." (Luke i. 59, 60.) 

Reflection. — The dignity of the Christian name. 

145. Why was the eighth day chosen for the cir- 
cumcision of John ? 

Because the law of the Jews required this rite on that 
day, and by this the child was admitted to the covenant of 
God and the communion of the faithful. 

146. Why was that day also taken for the naming 
of the child ? 

Among reasons given is one that it was on the day of 
his circumcision that God changed Abram's name to Abra- 
ham; hence all Hebrews were named when they came for 
this same rite. 



LESSON XLIX. 

Text. — " And they made sighs to his father, how he would have 
him called. And demanding a writing-table, he wrote, saying : 
John is his name. And they all wondered. And immediately 
his mouth was opened, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke 
blessing God." (Luke i. 62-64.) 

Reflection. — The providence of God. 

147. Why did the parents insist on calling him 
John, notwithstanding the customs of the people ? 

Because it v T as the name given by the angel. It signi- 
fies " favor of God/' or " Jehovah has had mercy." 

148. How was this action received by the friends 
and relatives ? 

They had been amazed at Zachary's silence, and they 
were more astonished now when they heard him speak 



149. What conclusions did they draw from all they 
saw and heard ? 

That this child, given in such a wonderful way to his 



54 BEFORE BETHLEHEM. 

aged parents, and receiving his name from God, must be 
destined for a great work among men. 



LESSON L. 

Text.— "And Zachary his father was filled with the Holy- 
Ghost : and he prophesied saying : Blessed be the Lord God of 
Israel, because He hath visited and wrought the redemption of 
His people." (Luke i. 67, 68.) 

Reflection.— The spirit of gratitude. 

150. What is the hymn of Zachary called, and. 
why? 

It is called the " Benedictus," because in Latin it begins 
with that word. It is recited every day in the Divine 
Office at Lauds. 

151. When is it supposed to have been composed? 
Many writers claim that Zachary composed it during 

the nine months of his dumbness. During this time he 
made deep study of the Scriptures, and learned the pure 
truth concerning the Messias. 

152. What is the character of this hymn, and 
whence did it derive its inspiration ? 

It is called a prophecy as well as an act of thanksgiving, 
and derived its inspiration from the Holy Ghost, who 
filled Zachary with the spirit of truth, and made him not 
only express his gratitude, but also foretell God's future 
mercies. 



LESSON LI. 

Text.— " And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us: in the 
house of David His servant. As He spoke by the mouth of Bis 
holy prophets, who are from the beginning." (Luke i. 69, 70.) 

Reflection. — The promise of redemption. 



BIRTH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST. 55 

153. "What is the first thought in the hymn of 
Zachary ? 

The opening thought is one of thankfulness (verses 68- 
75) for the favors bestowed on his people by the redemp- 
tion. It is the grateful cry of a true Israelitish soul which 
has been nourished by the hopes of the Redeemer to come. 
He reminds them of the prophecies and types and their 
fulfilment. 

154. What is the second thought in the hymn ? 
In the second part, in verses 76, 17, he turns his 

thought to his own son. John the Baptist, and he foretells 
his mission and his greatness as the prophet of the High- 
est and the teacher of salvation through the Messias. 

155. How does he close the hymn ? 

He returns to the thought of gratitude in verse 78, and 
foretells the happiness which is dawning for those now in 
darkness and in evil ways. He foreshadows the dawn of a 
new era which is to shed its light into hearts filled with 
despair, and give them new hope, and warm into new life 
their chilled hearts. 

LESSON LII. 

Text. — "And thou child, sbalt be called the prophet of the 
Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare 
His ways: To give knowledge of salvation to His people: unto the 
remission of their sins." (Luke i. 76. 77.) 

Reflection. — Our duty in preparing for the Lord. 

156. What is meant by prophet of the Highest '? 

It means that John is destined to be the prophet an- 
nouncing Christ. His forerunner and the herald of His 
coming, preparing the way of the Lord. 

- 157. How was he to prepare the way of the Lord ? 

As it was customary when the king visited the cities to 
have all rocks and obstacles carefully removed, and decora- 



5 6 BEFORE BETHLEHEM. 

tions tastefully' placed, so John was sent to preach penance 
and prepare the Jewish heart to receive Christ, and finally 
to announce that He had come and was among them. 

158. What was to be the praise accorded to him 
because of his work ? 

lie was to be called by Christ " more than a prophet, a 
very angel sent before His face, and among the children of 
men there was no one greater than John the Baptist." 
(See Matt. xi. 10, 11.) 

BIBLE TALKS. 

How to Interpret the Bible. 

Thus far wc have been led to understand the sacred char- 
acter of the Bible, that it is the inspired word of God. We 
spoke of the inspiration of the Bible in order that we might see 
in what it differs from all other books ever seen or known. 
Now we will examine how we are to interpret it, for if it be the 
word of God, we must understand it as God wishes it to be under- 
stood, in order that we may find God's meaning. It would be 
useless to have given us t he Bible, unless God also gave us a certain 
and unerring means of knowing its sense. Now the Bible contains 
truths to be believed and commands to be followed. If salvation 
depend upon knowing what these are, it certainly would be un- 
just in God to place duties upon us in such a way that wc might be 
uncertain about them and thus endanger our salvation. Does it not 
seem foolish to suppose that God should give us a book and then 
tell us to pick from it what we are to believe and what we are to do ? 
This would lead us to as many interpretations as there are readers, 
and few would agree, and what then would become of truth ? 
No, God gave us the Bible, and it is His word; but He also gave 
us an unerring teacher, whose duty it is to tell what the Bible 
means. Some people, who believe in the Bible and nothing else, 
will tell you it is easy to understand it. Yet take some of the 
very common passages even in the discourses of Our Lord, and 
how many sects differ as to their meaning ! St. Peter reminds 
his churches that in the epistles of St. Paul are " certain things 
hard to be understood which the learned and the unstable wrest, 



BIRTH OF ST. JOHN TUB BAPTIST. 57 

as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction.' 1 
Evidently St. Peter did not believe in every one reading the 
Scriptures to suit himself. The learned Ethiopian, spoken of in 
the Acts of the Apostles, was trying to read the prophecy of Isaias. 
And Philip questioned him as to its meaning, and the answer 
came: ''How can I understand it, unless some one show me?" 
Then Philip explained that it referred to Christ. Interpretation 
cannot depend upon the good heart or the spirit of the reader, 
for good men who think they are moved by the spirit of God find 
entirely different meanings in the very same passage. We 
Catholics believe that Jesus Christ established His Church upon 
the apostles, to whom He gave the entire deposit of faith; and 
this Church, speaking to us, not only tells us what the Bible is, 
but also what the Bible means. 



PART II. 

XTbe Infancy of Cforist, 



The Nativity of Christ. 




R ; canfalh/ and dudy verses 1-20 of the Second Chapter of 
St. Luke's gospel. 

LESSON T.ITT. 

Text. — "And ir, came to pass that in those days, there went 
out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that the whole world should 
be enrolled." (Luke ii. 1.) 

Reflection. — Christ's mission to men. 

58 



THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST. 59 

159. Why was this decree issued? 

The Roman emperor wished this registry, it is supposed, 
for purposes of taxation. 

160. What is meant by the whole world? 

The Roman Empire, which then was the whole known 
world. 

161. Why did each one go into his own city? 

Because in the city of his ancestors the Jewish family 
records were kept. Romans registered in cities where 
they lived. 



LESSON LIV. 

Text.—" And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city 
of Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David, which is called 
Bethlehem : because he was of the house and family of David, to 
be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife." (Luke ii. 4> 5.) 

Reflection. — Obedience to lawful authority. 

162. Why did Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem? 
Because Mary was of the lineage of David, and Christ, 

who was to be born of her, was the heir of David's king- 
dom, whose city was Bethlehem. 

163. What had the prophecies announced with 
regard to His birth? 

That it would occur in Bethlehem of Juda ; and hence 
the Jews looked to Bethlehem as the place where the 
Mcssias would be found. 

164. Where was Bethlehem, and what does the word 
Bethlehem mean ? 

It was a village five or six miles south of Jerusalem. It 
was the town of Ruth and Booz, and the birthplace of 
David, whose family records it contained. Bethlehem 
means " house of bread," and the village was so called be- 
cause of its fertility- 



60 THE INFARCT OF CHRIST. 



LESSON LV. 

Text. — "And she brought forth her first-born Son, and wrapped 
Him up in swaddling-clothes, and laid Him in a manger : because 
there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke ii. 7.) 

Reflection. — Humility. 

165. What is meant by first-born? 

It commonly refers to first-born of the father, and, as lie 
had certain rights, it is not strange that an only son should, 
be called the first-born. 

166. What was meant by swaddling-clothes? 

These were not clothes regularly made, but strips of 
cloth three or four inches wide and several feet long, 
wound around the child. 

167. What do you understand by the manger? 

It is supposed to have been a crib made of five small 
boards and placed for the use of the cattle in the limestone 
cave or grotto in which Christ was born. 



LESSON LVI. 

Text. — " And the angel said to them : Fear not ; for behold I 
bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the 
people : for this day is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the 
Lord, in the city of David. 1 ' (Luke ii. 10, 11.) 

Reflection. — Message of salvation. 

168. When was Christ born? 

There has been mnch dispute as to the exact date, but 
the Eastern and Western Churches seem to agree that it 
must have been one of the twelve nights between December 
25th and January 6th. Home held to the former, and the 
East held to the latter until the sixth century, when it 
accepted December 25th. Christ was born probably in 
the year 740 of Rome. 



THE NATIVITY OF CUBIST. 01 

169. Who were the shepherds, and where were they 
located? 

Tradition has it that they were natives of the little 
village Bethzur, near Bethlehem, in the same fields where 
David had served. 

170. What do we see by this message to the 
shepherds ? 

That God sent the message of salvation first to the poor, 
and it was sent to the shepherds while they were employed 
in their daily work. 



LESSOX LVII. 

Text. — " And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude 
of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying : Glory to God 
in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will." (Luke 
ii. 13, 14.) 

Reelection. — God's love in the salvation of men. 

171. What is meant by the "heavenly army"? 

It means the angels of heaven whose hosts peopled the sky 
above Bethlehem to do honor to the birth of their King. 

172. What do you mean by "glory to God"? 
God's glorious work of salvation, and the desire to spread 

His glory by making it known. This glory is deserving of 
the highest praise even in the very heavens. 

173. What is understood by "peace to men of good 
will"? 

It means that Christ has brought peace to earth, that is 
to say, peace to man's conscience by giving him chance for 
pardon, and peace between men by the law of love which 
He came to teach, 



G2 



THE INFANCY OF CHRIST. 



The Presentation. 

Read carefully and study verses '-32-38 of the Second Chapter 
of St. Luke's gospel. 



LESSON LVIII. 

Text. — " And after the days of her purification according to 
the law of Moses were accomplished, they carried Him to Jerusa- 
lem, to present Him to the Lord." (Luke ii. 22.) 

Reflection. — Obedience to the law. 




174. When did the event recorded in this lesson 
take place? 

As it was an act of obedience to the law, it must have 
taken place forty days after the birth of Christ, and conse- 
quently before the adoration of the Maui. 



THE PRESENTATION. 63 

175. What were the ceremonies prescribed by the 
law in question ? 

There were two ceremonies : one which demanded the 
purification of the mother with her gift-offering ; and the 
other the redemption of the first-born, who was conse- 
crated to God, or, as in the case of Jesus Christ, the 
presentation in the Temple. 

176. Were Jesus and Mary bound by this law? 

Certainly not ; but they desired to show us the necessity 
of obedience to the law, aud thus gave us an example both 
of obedience and poverty, for Mary made the -''poor 
woman's offering" of two turtle-doves. 



LESSON" LIX. 

Text. — "And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named 
Simeon, and this man was just and devout, . . . and the Holy 
Ghost was in him, . . . and he came by the Spirit into the 
Temple. 1 ' (Luke ii. 25, 27.) 

Reflection. — The beauty of sanctity. 

177. Who was this Simeon spoken of in the Gospel? 

He was a just and God-fearing old man, who, amid all 
the evils of Israel, remained faithful to God and lived in 
hopes of seeing the Messias. His good life was rewarded, 
and he appears as one of "the remnant" of which the 
prophet Isaias spoke. 

178. How did he recognize the divine Child? 

The Gospel says that the Spirit of God led him into the 
Temple that day and made known to him that this was 
the expected Messias, who was to bring salvation to man- 
kind. 

179. What other figure appears at the presentation? 

A woman of extraordinary virtue, very far advanced in 
years, a prophetess named Anna, who spent her days in 



64 THE INFANCY OF CHRIST. 

the Temple. She recognized Jesus, and gave praise to 
G-od for the redemption of Israel. 

LESSON LX. 

Text. — "Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, O Lord, accord- 
ing to Thy word, in peace: because my eyes have seen Thy salva- 
tion, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples. A 
light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people 
Israel." (Luke ii. 29-32.) 

Reflection. — Thanksgiving to God. 

180. What is the hymn of holy Simeon called ? 

It is called the " Nunc Dimittis," from the Latin 
words with which it ojDens. They mean, "Now thou dost 
dismiss." 

181. What is the principal thought in this hymn ? 
That Jesus is the source of all good. He gives (1) 

happiness, — "in peace"; (2) salvation, — ''Thy salva- 
tion"; (3) light,— "a light to the nations"; (4) glory, 
— " the glory of Thy people." 

182. What followed Simeon's hymn ? 

lie gives an aged saint's blessing to the parents of this 
wonderful Child. 

LESSON LXI. 

Text. — "And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His 
mother : Behold this Child is set for the fall and for the resurrec- 
tion of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contra- 
dicted : and thy own soul a sword shall pierce." (Luke ii. 
34, 35.) 

Reflection. — The sorrows of Mary. 

183. What is meant by Simeon's first prophecy ? 

It means that Christ brought ruin to the unbelieving 
world, and resurrection to all who believe in J Tim. It 
may also mean disappointment to those who looked for a 



THE AD0RA1I0N OF THE MAGI. 65 

temporal prince, and hope to those who looked for a 
Saviour. 

184. What is meant by the prophecy of the sword. ? 
That violent pain should pierce Mary's heart as with a 

dagger when she should stand under the cross. It means 
that Mary, the Mother of Jesus, must prepare to bear the 
cross with Jesus for the redemption of mankind. 

185. What do you understand by the prophecy of 
" the sign which shall be contradicted " ? 

This may be taken in connection with the " revelation of 
many hearts," spoken of in Luke ii. 35, and means that 
many will not accept Jesus as Saviour, because of earthly 
motives, which in all time will be seen as governing men's 
hearts. 



The Adoration of the Magi. 

Read carefully and .study verses 1-12 of the Second Chapter of 
St. Matthew's gospel. 



LESSOR LXII. 

Text. — >k When Jesus therefore was born in Bethlehem of Juda, 
in the days of King llerod, behold, there came wise men from the 
East to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the 
Jews ?" (Matt. ii. 1, 2.) 

Reflection.— Seeking after Christ. 

186. Who is the Herod spoken of in this story? 

Herod the Great, the founder of the Herod family. He 
was an Edomite in race, but a Jew in religion, was Eoman 
governor of Galilee, named king of Judea by Anthony, 
and rebuilt the Temple of Jerusalem, which was called 
Herod's temple. 



66 



THE INFANCY OF CHRIST. 



187. Who were the Magi, and how many came to 
Bethlehem ? 

They were Gentiles, and, as the name Magi indicates, were 
called wise men. They are supposed to have been priests 
or followers of Zoroaster, learned in the knowledge of the 
stars, and enjoying the respect of the people. St. Leo says, 
judging by the gifts they brought that there were three of 
them, and Venerable Bede gives their names as Melcher, 
Caspar, and Balthasar; but this is mere conjecture. 




188. From what country did they come, and why 
to Jerusalem? 

Some say that they came from Arabia, others from 
Persia or Babylonia. They were seeking the new-born 
King of the Jews and they naturally came to Jerusalem, 
because it was the capital of Judea. It was also to confound 
the blindness of the Jews. 



THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI. 67 



LESSON LXIII. 

Text. — "For we have seen His star in the East, and are come 
to adore Him." (Matt. ii. 1.) 

Reflection. — Correspondence with grace. 

189. What did they understand by His star? 

They must have known the prophecy that foretold the 
birth of the Messias. The years spent by the Jews in the 
East made scholars familiar with the books of Moses and 
the ancient prophecies. 

190. What was this prophecy? 

It was uttered by Balaam and is found in Numbers 
xxiv. 17: ''A star shall rise out of Jacob, and a sceptre 
shall spring up from Israel." This star was understood to 
indicate the birth of the Messias. 

191. What was the character of this star? 

It could not have been an ordinary star, and the students 
of astronomy that tell of a wonderful conjunction of fixed 
stars at that period cannot explain it. This latter may 
have attracted the attention of these learned men and thus 
led them to notice the miraculous star of Bethlehem which 
they followed. It is not hard to believe that God, who sent 
angels to herald the birth of Christ, might have made a 
star to guide the Gentiles to His resting-place. 

LESSON LXIV. 

Text. — "And King Herod hearing this, was troubled, and all 
Jerusalem with him. And assembling together all the chief 
priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where 
Christ should be born." (Matt, ii. 3.) 

^Reflection. — Power of jealousy. 

192. Why was Herod troubled at the words of the 
Magi? 

Because he feared that the coming of the new King 



68 THE INFANCY OF CUBIST. 

would destroy his power, for the people hated him, and 
would turn against him and dethrone him. 

193. What did Herod do to quiet his fears? 

He summoned all who should know the law and the 
prophecies, and he inquired as to when Christ should he 
horn. 

194. What was their answer, and how was it re- 
ceived ? 

They answered promptly that it was in Bethlehem of 



o 



Juda, as it was written by the prophet Micheas 
Herod, after closely questioning the Magi, bade them go to 
Bethlehem and return to him with all the information they 
could gather. 



LESSON LXV. 

Text. — "And entering into the house, they found the Child 
with Mary His mother, and falling down they adored Him: and 
opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold, frankin- 
cense, and myrrh." (Matt. ii. 11.) 

Tie flection. — Christ, our King. 

195. How were the Magi guided in their onward 
journey? 

The star which they saw in the East appeared again and 
led them to the very house where the child Jesus was 
found. 

196. What is meant by their gifts? 

After adoring Him as their Cod, according to their 
Eastern customs they made presents to royalty. By gold 
they acknowledged His kingly power; by frankincense, 
His divinity; and by myrrh, His humanity. 

197. How did they return home, and why? 

They were warned in a dream not to return to Jeru- 
salem, but passed round by the south, and either crossed 



THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI. G9 

the Jordan at Jericho, or else went round the Dead Sea. 
They did this that Herod might not be helped in his wicked 
plot against Christ. ' 



BIBLE TALKS. 

How to Interpret the Bible. (Continued.) 

We have already spoken about the necessity of having some one 
with authority from God to tell us what the Bible means. We 
know that, more than all other writings, the Holy Scriptures 
are obscure and difficult to understand. We easily see the 
reason for this if we remember that in great part they are older 
than the oldest secular books. They contain much sublime 
thought and expression, and they were written by men and for 
peoples whose modes of speech and habits of life were entirely 
different from ours. The style at times is elegant and poetic, and 
at times simple and negligent. The languages in which they were 
written are very far from ours, and the versions often contain 
the idioms and quaint sayings of the original language. Who is 
there who can go back to the original to find if the translations 
are correct ? Who can settle disputes ? Who can determine what 
God means to have us believe? Since it is God's word, God must 
have fixed some certain way of letting us know what His words 
mean. The Jews of old had this means of knowledge in the syna- 
gogue, and Christ placed it in His Church, to which He gave all 
power to teach the world what to believe and what to do. Now, 
there is in the Church a central standard of interpretation, which 
is that body of doctrine of which the apostolic teaching is composed 
and which the different apostles delivered to the churches estab- 
lished by them. This body of doctrine has been preserved by 
tradition and kept from error by the infallibility with which our 
good Saviour has invested His Church when He promised to be with 
her all days, and that the gates of hell should not prevail against 
her. To this body of doctrine, which is called the deposit of faith, all 
interpretations must conform. Hence, no meaning should be 
given to any part of the Bible that would be opposed to any part 
of these doctrines. Even in the days of the apostles, the Council of 
the Church was the interpreter of the Scriptures, and to it belonged 



70 THE INFANCY OF CHRIST. 

the sole right of decision. When in the earl}* Church, there was 
difference as to the meaning of certain laws for the newly con- 
verted Jews, the Council of Jerusalem was called, and it decided 
the dispute. The Scriptures were not so clear to the Jews, for 
although their learned doctors told them when Christ was to 
be born, yet they failed to accept Him, and by the very Scriptures 
they asked that He be crucified. As Cacholics, we believe that 
Christ established His Church and gave to it not only the mission 
to teach the world His doctrine, but also to guard His word from 
being misunderstood. "When, then, we ask the Church what we 
are bound to believe about God and our duties, we believe that she 
cannot err in what she tells us. When we go to her and ask what 
the Bible means in this or that passage, we believe that she alone 
can toll ns the true meaning, for she alone is the Church of Christ, 
and she can no more err than Christ Himself. 



The Flight into Egypt. 

Read carefully "//it study verses 13-2:3 of tin Second Chapter 
of St. Matthew's gospel. 

LESSON LXV1. 

Text. — " And after they were departed, behold an angel of 
the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take 
the Child and His mother, and fly into Egypt, and be there until 
1 shall tell thee." (Matt. ii. 13.) 

Reflection —The ministry of angels. 

198. When did the angel appear, directing Joseph 
to Egypt? 

Immediately after the departure of the Magi, who did 
not return to Herod at Jerusalem as lie had requested. 

199. Why was Egypt selected as a refuge for the 
Holy Family ? 

Because it was at this time a 1 Join an province near 
Palestine, and was at all times a place of refuge for perse- 
cuted Jews, and hence was largely peopled by them. 



THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT. 71 

200. What was the prophecy that referred to this ? 
Osee xi. 2 : "Out of Egypt have I called My Son."' 
This prophecy refers to the people of Israel, freed from 




captivity, but more particularly to Christ called out of 
Egypt by God. 

LESSON LXVII. 

Text.— "For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the 
Child to destroy Him. Who arose and took the Child and His 
mother by night and retired into Egypt." (Matt. ii. 13, 14.) 

Eeflection. — Sin, the Herod of the soul. 

201. Why was Joseph ordered to fly into Egypt? 

To escape the jealousy of Herod, who was angered 
because the Magi did not return to him as he had 
demanded. 



72 THE INFANCY OF CHRIST. 

202. What was the motive of Herod's jealousy and 
hatred ? 

He feared that Christ was to be the King of Judea and 
rule in his place. 

203. How did Joseph receive the message? 

Humbly trusting in divine Providence, lie promptly 
and generously obeyed, and immediately went from Beth- 
lehem. 



LESSOX LXV1I1. 

Text. — " And lie [Joseph] was there until the death of Herod : 
that it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, 
saying : Out of Egypt have I called My Son." (Matt. ii. 15.) 

Reflection. — Promptness in obedience. 

204. When and how did the Holy Family journey 
to Egypt? 

Probably the very night the message came, in order to 
avoid the threatening danger to the Child. The road 
selected was the one by Joppe, which would be the way 
least suspected. 

205. Why did Herod decree the massacre of the 
innocents? 

In order that by this cruel act he might reach Christ 
and destroy Him. 

206. How many children were put to death by this 
order? 

It is thought that between twenty and thirty were mas- 
sacred, as that would be about the proportion of male 
infants in Bethlehem's population, which at that time was 
about 2000. 



THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT 73 



LESSON LXIX. 

Text. — "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jere- 
mias the prophet, saying: A voice in Rama was heard, lamenta- 
tion and great mourning: Rachel bewailing her children, and 
would not be comforted, because they are not." (Matt. ii. 17, 18.) 

Reflection. — The Church weeps for sinners. 

207. Where is Rama, and what is here referred to? 
Rama was a village in the territory of Benjamin, about 

five miles north of Jerusalem. It was there that many 
Benjamites were massacred, when, under Nabuzardan, 
B.C. 586, many were imprisoned at Rama before their 
transfer to Babylon. 

208. "What do you understand by the reference to 
Rachel ? 

Rachel w T as the mother of the tribe of Benjamin, and her 
tomb was close to Bethlehem. She is represented by the 
prophet as mourning for her captive children. 

209. How is the prophecy fulfilled in the massacre 
of the holy innocents ? 

As Rachel mourned her children of Benjamin at Rama, 
so her grief is renewed by the slaughter at Bethlehem, and 
is all the greater because it is an attempt to kill the Mes- 
sias, the hope of Israel and the pride of the tribe of 
Benjamin. 

LESSON LXX. 

Text. — Ci Who arose, and took the Child and His mother, and 
came into the land of Israel. But hearing that Archelaus reigned 
in Judea in the room of Herod his father, he was afraid to go 
thither : and being warned in sleep, retired into the quarters of 
Galilee." (Matt, ii 21. 22.) 

Reflection. — Parental responsibility. 

210. How long did they remain in Egypt, and when 
did they return? 

Herod died in Jericho, April, year of Rome 750. a few 



74: THE INFANCY OF CHRIST. 

weeks after the massacre, and it is thought that the Hoi} 7 
Family returned in a few months, although some fix it at 
two or three years. 

211. How did they return, and why not to Bethle- 
hem? 

Tradition tells us that they returned by Ascalon, Joppe, 
and Cesarea. Fearing that Archelaus, Herod's son, was 
as wicked as his father, Joseph, under divine guidance, 
went into Galilee and took up his home in Nazareth, so 
that the prophecy of the "despised Nazarene " might be 
fulfilled. 

212. Are there not legends connected with the flight 
into Egypt? 

Most beautiful ones, that tell of the trees bearing their 
fruits and bending their branches to nourish Jesus, the 
wild beasts adoring, the roses of Jericho blossoming, and 
the idols falling in Egypt. 



PART III. 

ZTbe ffloutb ot Chvist. 



The Boyhood of Christ. 




Bead carefully and study verse 23 of the Second Chapter of St. 
Matthew's gospel and verses 40-43 of the Second Chapter of St. 
Lulce's gospel. 

LESSON LXXI. 

Text. — " And coming He dwelt in a city called Nazareth : that 
it might be fulfilled which was said by the prophets : That Tie 
shall be called a Nazarite." (Matt. ii. 23.) 

Reflection. — Humility brings glory. 

75 



76 THE YOUTH OF CHRIST. 

213. Where do you find the prophecy referred to 
above, and what does it mean ? 

It is not found in any prophet in those words. The 
Gospel sums up a number of predictions which refer to 
Nazareth, either in its signification, which means branch, 
or because the prophet called Him "despised,'' and Naza- 
reth was a term of contempt. 

214. Where is Nazareth, and why this contempt 
for it? 

Nazareth is a city twenty miles east of the Mediter- 
ranean or Great Sea, sixteen miles west of the Sea of Gali- 
lee, and about seventy miles from Jerusalem. It passed 
into disrepute either because it was in Galilee, which was 
despised by Judeans, or because, being near to the heathen, 
its morals were lax. 

215. How was the youth of Jesus passed in 
Nazareth ? 

Under the direction of His parents, in the home and 
the workshop or among His companions. He was taught 

the Old Testament, and practised the trade of carpenter, 
helping Joseph, who provided for the Holy Family. 



LESSON LXXI1. 

Text. — " And the Child grew, and waxed strong, full of wis- 
dom : and the grace of God was in Him. And His parents went 
every year to Jerusalem, at the solemn day of the pasch." (Luke 
ii. 40, 41.) 

Reflection. — Christian childhood. 

216. How often in the year did the Law of Moses 
oblige attendance at the Temple ? 

All adult males were hound to appear "before the Lord, 
at the altar, three times in the year — at the festival of Pass- 
over, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Devout women went 
when thev could. 



THE BOYHOOD OF CHRIST. 77 

217. Why did they go to Jerusalem? 

Because there was but one Temple, and that was in 
Jerusalem. Between two and three million Jews attended 
these feasts every year. 

218. What did the Passover commemorate ? 

It commemorated the salvation of Israel from the exter- 
minating angel, who, while slaying the first-born of the 
Egyptians, passed over the marked houses of the Jews. 
It began at sunset on the 14th day of Xisan (our Easter) 
and lasted seven days, during which only unleavened bread 
was prescribed. (See Deut. xvi. 2; Exod. xii. 15 and 
xxxiv. 18.) 

LESSON LXXIII. 

Text. — " And when He was twelve years old, they going up 
into Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast." (Luke ii. 
42.) 

Reflection. — Parental example. 

219. Why did Jesus go to the Temple at His 
twelfth year ? 

Because at twelve a Jewish boy was supposed to know 
the law. He then became known as a ••'son of the law," 
and he was bound to follow it. 

220. What did Jewish parents consider as a duty 
to their children ? 

To teach them the history and laws of Israel, to have 
them commit to memory the precepts, and attend the daily 
and special services in the synagogues and the feasts in the 
Temple. 

221. What was the one book they taught and 
studied ? 

The Old Testament, or, as they called it, the •"Book of 
Laws," which contained the history of their people and 
the laws of God. 



78 THE YOUTH OF CHRIST. 



LESSON LXXIV. 



Text. — " And having fulfilled the days, when they returned, 
the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem, and His parents knew it 
not." (Luke ii. 43.) 

Reflection. — Parental care. 

222. What is meant by the fulfilment of the days ? 

The time prescribed by law. The feast lasted seven 
days, but those who wished to return home sooner were 
allowed to do so after three days. 

223. How can you account for the fact that the 
parents of Jesus did not miss Him ? 

They had perfect confidence in Him, and supposed Him 
with other boys or with acquaintances. The crowds were 
so great and there was so much confusion in Jerusalem 
that it was very difficult to keep families together. 

224. Who were the rulers of Judea at that time ? 

Augustus Caesar was emperor of Rome, Coponius gov- 
ernor of Judea, and Herod Antipater, son of Herod the 
Great, ruler of Galilee and Perea. 

BIBLE TALKS. 

Bible Geography. 

The country made famous by the birth of Christ is Palestine, 
about which it is well for you to learn something. Palestine in 
the Gospel times was an irregular strip of land bordering the 
southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. In the days of 
Solomon, one thousand years before Christ, it contained sixty 
thousand square miles, but at the time of Christ, under Herod 
the Great, it had but twelve thousand miles of territory. On the 
north of Palestine were Syria and Phoenicia; the Arabian desert 
was on the east, the wilderness of Sinai on the south, and the 
Mediterranean Sea on the west. It was one hundred and fifty 
miles in length and ninety miles wide at the southern end, which 



JESUS IN THE TEMPLE. 



79 



was the widest part. The river Jordan, rising in the northern 
mountains, flowed southerly nearly the entire length of the land, 
one hundred and thirty-four miles, and emptied into the Dead 
Sea, passing through two lakes, Lake Merom and the Sea of Gali- 
lee, both in the north. Palestine had several mountains. Near 
the Sea of Galilee was Mount Thabor. In the centre was Mount 
Garizim, two thousand eight hundred and fifty feet high, and 
near Jerusalem was the Mount of Olives, while Jerusalem itself 
was built chiefly on Mount Zion. 

In the time of Christ Palestine was divided into four principal 
provinces, three west of the Jordan and one east of it. The 
western countries were Judea in the south, Galilee in the north, 
and Samaria in the centre, with Perea on the east. Perea is often 
said to include the countries north of it, such as Auranitis and 
Trachonitis. Fix these geographical ideas in your mind, so that 
you may follow the Gospel story intelligently. 



Jesus in the Temple. 




Read carefully and study verses 44-52 of the Second Chapter 
of the gospel according to St. Luke. 



SO THE YOUTH OF CHBIST. 



LESSOR LXXY. 

Text. — ••And it came to pass, that after three days they found 
Him in the Temple sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing 
them aud asking ihem questions." Lnke : I 

Reflection. — The Catechism teaching. 

22 5. Who were the doctors who were in the Temple 
at that time ? 

They were the authorized interpreters and teachr 
the law which the Jews were obliged to follow. They were 
also known as Scribes, and the most absolute r 
given to them by all their pup:.-. 

2 26. Where in the Temple is this scene thought to 
have taken place ? 

In one of the courts or chambers of the Temple, where on 

feast-days the doctors of the law allowed free discussion 

and au opportunity was given for inquiry. When teaching 

with authority the Scribe- said to occupy the chair of 

3, and the scholars sat about them. 

227. Were these eminent rabbis or teachers present 
on this occasion? 

It is supposed that some of the learned teachers of that 
year were there, and among them were Hillel, Shammai, 
and Xieodemus, who were famous doctors of the law. They 
at the knowledge of Jes s. 

LESSON LXXVI. 

Text. — "And seeing Him. they [Joseph and Mary] wondered. 
And His mother said to Hi:. Sod, rhou done so t< 

behold Thy fat her and I have sought Thee sorrowing." (Lnkeii. 

Reflection. — Maternal solicits 

22S. Why did the holy parents wonder at the knowl- 
edge of Jesus ? 

aise it was the first revelation of His divine power, 
mild and snbmisE . mere child, con- 



JB8US IX TILE TEMPLK 81 

fused the venerable doctors of the Temple whom the Galileans 
red as prodigies of learning and author:: 

22 9. Why does the complaint come from the Blessed 

St Joseph, being only a protector and foster- 
father, yields to Mary, whose maternal heart leads her to 
seem to chide her divine Son for His apparent negligence. 

230. Did she not know His divine eh&racter, and why 
therefore did she sorrow for Him ? 

Becanse He was placed in her care to be educated, and 
she had to use all natural means to that end, and her 
motherlv instincts manifested themselves. 



LESS .' Lxxvn. 

Text. — * And He said to them : How is it that you sougL 
did yon not know, that I must be about My Fathers business ? 
And they understood not the word that He spoke unto them." 
(Luke u. 49. 50.) 

Reflection. — Our doty to God, oor Father. 

231. Wiis.: makes :ms aziswer r^markacle? 

1. It is the first word of Our Saviour which is recorded. 

2. It expresses the idea that God is our true Father, and 
to serve Him in His temple is deserving of praise and not 
:: Wm:. 

3. It is an abridgment of the Gospel, in the Incarnation 
and redemption. 

232. How do you find the tram :: the Incarnation 
and redemption in those words ? 

The words "My F:.:m: ei res weary strongly that 
Cruris: := m-r ^:_ : VI ;.-_." . .-:-"_. :-- IV — — = .. V:„t 
and human nature. My, and not our, makes it personal. 

My J ~ ** indicates the truth and jus: ice :: 

God as manifested in sending His Son to redeem man. 



82 THE YOUTH OF CHRIST. 

233. Can you regard this answer as a reprimand to 
the Blessed Mother? 

Some non-Catholics who do not understand the true 
relations of the Blessed Mother to her Son Jesus regard it 
as such. Christ reminds His pareuts that they should look 
for Him in the Temple; but Ilis docility in leaving the 
Temple, going to Nazareth, and spending with them the 
eighteen years that followed before His public life shows 
His love and obedience, which cannot be reconciled with a 
reprimand. 



LESSOX LXXVIII. 

Text. — "And they understood not the word that He spoke 
unto them. And He went down with them, and came to Naza- 
reth : and was subject to them. And His mother kept all these 
words in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age. 
and grace with God and men." (Luke ii. 50-52.) 

Reflection. — Obedience to parents. 

234. How was it that they did not understand His 
words ? 

Though His parents knew Ilis real character, yet they 
seemed to be ignorant of the means to be used for man's 
redemption, and did not realize that this visit to the Temple 
had a bearing on the work. 

235. Why did the Blessed Mother ponder over these 
words ? 

Because she recalled the words of Simeon and also the 
words of the angel, and a greater insight seemed to come 
to her as to the mystery of redemption and her part in the 
scheme of salvation. 

236. What do we know of the subsequent years of 
Christ's private life ? 

It is all summed up in the Gospel narrative, "lie went 
down to Nazareth and was subject to them.'' Jesus obeyed 



JESUS IN THE TEMPLE. 83 

Mary and Joseph, worked "with them and for them. " lie 
advanced in wisdom/'' which means that His natural 
wisdom increased with experience and all revered Him, 
while in humility He prepared Himself for public life by 
eighteen years of privacy. 

BIBLE TALKS. 

Jewish Customs for Youth. 

At twelve or thirteen years of age every Jewish boy was con- 
sidered a man, for he was then admitted as a member of the 
community of Israel, and he bound himself to follow the law. 
lie then began to wear what were called "frontlets" or "phylac- 
teries," observed the fasts, aud went to Jerusalem for the feasts. 
These frontlets were little strips of parchment attached by straps 
to the arms and head. On them were written four passages from 
the Old Testament (Exodus xiii. 2-10, 11-17; Deuteronomy vi. 
4-9, 13-23) which reminded them of their duty to God in 
sacrifice and love. A special ink was used in the transcribing of 
these verses from the Scriptures. Rolled in a case of black calf- 
skin, one set was attached to the left arm, while another was put 
into four little cells within a square case, and attached to the 
forehead by two leathern thongs, on which Hebrew letters were 
written. The journeys to Jerusalem were in the nature of pilgrim- 
ages, and were a prominent feature of the religious life of the 
Jews. Caravans went from the different sections where the Jews 
dwelt, and it is stated that at the Passover, which is the feast 
mentioned in our lesson, no less than two million Jews were in 
Jerusalem. Jesus and the caravan of Nazareth came by Sichem 
and the well of Jacob. The Temple, which held over two hundred 
thousand people, was crowded, the priests offered the victims of 
sacrifice, and the people prayed. The doctors of the law taught 
the people their duties, and reminded them of their traditions, 
while moments were given for discussion. 



84 



THE YOUTH OF CHRIST. 



Preaching of John in the Desert. 




Head and study verses 1-17 of the Third Chapter of St. Mat- 
thew's gospel; also verses 2-11 of the First Chapter of St. Mark's 
gospel, and verses 7-22 of the Third Chapter of St. Lake's 



LESSON LXXIX. 



Text. — "And in tliose days cometh John the Baptist preach- 
ing in the desert of Jndea, and saying : Do penance : for the 
kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matt. iii. 1, 2.) 

Reflection. — The necessity of penance. 

237. Who was John the Baptist? 

As we have seen in a preceding lesson lie was a prophet, 
the son of Zachary and Elizabeth, a cousin of Our Lord, and 
the one chosen to announce the coining of the Redeemer. 



PREACHING OF JOHN IN THE DESERT 85 

23 P. Why was he called the Baptist ? 
Because he obliged his disciples to be baptized as a mark 
of their repentance. 

239. How did this baptism compare with Christian 
Baptism ? 

As the shadow with the substance, as the figure with 
the reality. It only purified or signified purification as a 
mere ceremony, but did not regenerate. It was a prepara- 
tion for what was to come with Christ. 



LESSON LXXX. 

Text. — "Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and 
all the country about Jordan; and were baptized by him in the 
Jordan confessing their sins." (Matt. iii. 5, 6.) 

Reflection.— The confession of sin. 

240. How was John the Baptist clothed, and what 
was his food ? 

He was clothed in a plain garment made from camel's 
hair, and his food was locusts and wild honey, such as were 
used by the poorer classes because of their cheapness. 

241. Why did he live in this way ? 

Probably in imitation of the prophets of old, as also to 
rebuke the arrogant and rich about him, and to foreshadow 
the poverty of the Redeemer. 

242. What drew the great crowds to John ? 

He appeared as a prophet and as a Nazarite; his hair 
was uncut, his beard unshaven, and his preaching was full 
of earnestness and conviction, which touched the hearts of 
the multitudes, who just at that time were expecting the 
Messias. 



S6 THE TO UTII OF CHRIST. 



LESSOR LXXXT. 

Text. — " For this is He that was spoken of by Isaias the 
prophet, saying : A voice of one crying in the desert : Prepare ye 
the way of the Lord : make straight His paths. 1 ' (Matt. iii. 3.) 

Reflection. — The wilderness of sin. 

243. Which was the wilderness referred to ? 

The wilderness of Judea, which was a wild, hilly region 
extending from Hebron to the Dead Sea. It was not 
a desert. 

244. What did they understand by the words, 
" make straight His paths " ? 

That as mighty kings, by their armies, had the roads 
made or straightened and the valleys filled before their 
triumphal march, so the lives of sinners should be changed 
in order that the great King might be able to reach 
their hearts. 

245. How did John the Baptist prepare the way of 
the Lord ? 

By warning the people of the near approach of Christ, 
crying out against sin and urging all to repentance, that 
their hearts might thus be prepared for the graces of 
redemption. 

LESSON LXXX1I. 

Text.--" And seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees 
coming to his baptism, he said to them: Ye brood of vipers, who 
hath showed you to flee from the wrath to come?" (Matt. iii. 7.) 

Reflection. — The punishment of hypocrisy. 

246. Who were the Pharisees ? 

The sect among the Jews aiming to observe the letter of 
the Mosaic law and the unwritten traditions. They con- 
demned all who did not agree with them, and believed in 
immortality and the existence of the angels. 



PREACHING OF JOHN IN THE DESERT. 87 

247. Who were the Sadducees ? 

A sect among the Jews, and composed largely of priests. 
They accepted the Books of Moses, rejected oral tradition, 
and denied, immortality, as also the existence of angels. 
They bitterly opposed the Pharisees. 

248. Why did John the Baptist denounce them 
even as they came to him ? 

Because, knowing their deceit, he realized that they 
came to be baptized but not to repent. They were ready 
to accept new ceremonies, but not to lead a new life, lie 
condemned their hypocrisy and dishonesty. 



LESSON LXXXIII. 

Text. — "I indeed baptize you in water unto penance: but He 
that shall come after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am 
not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and 
fire." (Matt. iii. 11.) 

Reflection. — John's humility. 

249. To whom does John refer in these words, 
" He that shall come " ? 

He refers to Christ, who, as indicated by the word 
" come," was already there, and, directing attention from 
himself and his works, which excited wonder and admira- 
tion, he fixes their thought on the greatness of the Messias. 

250. How does John show his insignificance in 
comparison with Christ ? 

By asserting his unworthiness even to carry or loose the 
sandals of Christ, which was a task assigned to the lowest 
menial of the household. 

251. How does John magnify the baptism which 
Christ is to administer ? 

He shows that it is not a mere ceremony or symbol, as 
his was, but the reality by which the Holy Spirit will enter 



88 THE YOUTH OF CHRIST. 

into mail's soul, to be as a fire, purifying, enlightening, 
and regenerating man. 

BIBLE TALKS. 

Nazareth and the Education of the Jews. 

To the Christian child, there is no city that has such beautiful 
memories as Nazareth, for it was the home of our dear Saviour, 
who" passed His childhood and youth within its precincts. 
Everything about this ancient city reminds the traveller of 
something in the life of Christ. Nazareth was a great centre of 
Jewish Temple life, for one of the "courses" of the priesthood 
centred there, and went from there in a body to Jerusalem. lis 
inhabitants were principally Jews, although some Gentiles had 
found a home among them. The traditions of the people were 
closely allied with the strict observances of Judaism. Until the 
child reached his fifth year, he was by right under the direction 
of the mother. Then the father began his instruction in the law 
of God and the profession which he himself followed. Education 
was imposed on the people as a sacred duty. Conscience was the 
main object of the parental instruction. To engrave on it the 
law of God, and with love for God a love for Israel, was the main 
duty of the Jewish home. The Jewish law never ceased to urge 
the father to teach his son on all occasions, at home or in travel- 
ling, what God required and what God had done. Another great 
lesson was taught by the law, and that was to honor and obey 
one's parents. There were three places where the Jewish child 
received instruction — the home, the synagogue, and the work- 
shop. At home his parents taught him his duties, at the syna- 
gogue he learned the law, and at the shop a trade was taught 
him. Joseph's carpenter shop was Christ's first school, for in His 
day there were no schools in Nazareth. At His work He heard 
the Scriptures read and He learned the history of His people, for 
thus He wished by ordinary and natural means to grow into the 
knowledge which became Him as the Saviour of Israel. How we 
may imagine the Holy Family praying for the redemption of 
Israel, reciting the psalms, and finding in one another the earthly 
happiness promised to fidelity ! Nazareth had a synagogue, to 
which Jesus went with His parents on the Sabbath and other 



PBBACHTNG OF JOHN IX THE DESERT. 89 

appointed days. There they prayed at morning, noon, and even- 
ing. There Jesus heard the readers interpret the verses which 
they read from the Torah. or Book of the Law. and He heard His 
own destiny carefully outlined. Thus He increased in knowl- 
edge, while the practical side of life was attended to in the hours 
at the carpenter's trade in the humble workshop of His father. 
Thus Nazareth comes to the Christian child as the home of the 
child Jesus, and is dearer to his faith than any other spot 
on earth. 



PART IV. 

preparation tor public %:te. 



The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. 




Read carefully and study verses 13-17 of the Third Chapter of 
St. Matthew's gospel, verses 0-11 of the First Chapter of St. 
Mark's gospel, and verses 21, 22 of the Third Chapter of St. 
Luke's gospel. 

90 



THE BAPTISM OF JESUS IN THE JORDAN. 91 



LESSON LXXXIV. 

Text. — "Then cometb Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan, onto 
John, to be baptized by him.'* Ala::, iii. 13. 
Reflection. — Humility of Christ. 

252. How old was Christ when He came to be bap- 
tized by John ? 

He was probably about thirty year? of age, which was the 
age prescribed for the Levites to enter upon their ministry. 
and of the rabbis to become teachers. 

253. Where did Christ come from, and where did the 
baptism take place ? 

He came from Nazareth, where He had lived with His 
parents in quiet and obscurity. It is thought that the 
baptism took place at one of the fords of the Jordan, near 
Jericho, at a place called by some Bethabara and by others 
Bethany. 

254. Why did Jesus seek to be baptized ? 
Although He had no sin. yet He thus publicly renounced 

all sin. sanctioned penance, and gave an example to all 
those who were to follow Him. that these were means of 
preparation for the mission of teachers. 



LESSON LXXXV. 

Text. — "But John stayed Him. saying: I ought tn be baptized 
by Thee, and eomest Thou to me ! " (Matt. iii. 14. 
Reflection. — Alan as an instrument of grace. 

255. What impelled John to forbid Jesus to seek 
baptism from him '? 

The greatness of Him whom he knew to he his Lord and 
Master caused him. in his humility, to disclaim any right to 



92 PREPARATION FOR PUBLIC LIFE. 

perform a religions ceremony of sin -purification for One 
who was absolutely sinless. 

256. What answer came to John from Christ? 

The reminder that this act was in conformity with the 
will of God, and that example might be given to others of 
the necessity of obedience to the law and the ceremonies. 

257. What followed after this? 

John baptized Jesns, and then came the first public 
manifestation of the true character of the Messias. 



LESSON LXXXVI. 

Text. — " And Jesus being baptized, forthwith came out of the 
water; and lo the heavens were opened to Him: and He saw the 
Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him." 
(Matt. iii. 16.) 

Reflection. — Effect of the Holy Spirit on us. 

258. Who were witnesses to this manifestation of 
divine approval? 

Jesus Himself, as lie came from the water, and John, 
who was privileged to witness the same sight, as St. John 
testifies in his gospel (i. 32). 

259. What is meant by the dove descending upon 
Jesus ? 

It symbolizes God the Holy Ghost, who in the bodily 
shape of a dove, which always represents peace and love, 
came from heaven to make known the Godhead in Christ. 

260. Whom did the voice saying, " This is My 
beloved Son " represent ? 

It represented God the Father, the First Person of the 
Blessed Trinity, who thus publicly made known the presence 
of the Second Person of the Trinity, who was Jesus Christ 
1 1 is Son, upon whom the Holy Ghost, the Third Person, 



THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS. 93 

hud just descended. It proclaimed Jesus as the Messias, 

the One in whom the Father was well pleased. 

LESSON LXXXV1I. 

Text. — "And behold a voice from heaven saying: This is My 
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."' (Matt. iii. 17.) 
Reflection.— The Christian, child of God. 

261. At what other times in Christ's life was the 
silence broken by the voice from heaven ? 

Once at the Transfiguration (Mark ix. 17), and once in 
the courts of the Temple during the Passion (John xii. 28). 

262. Why did God do these extraordinary things? 
To publicly announce the mission of Jesus, to give God's 

sanction to Him, and to make John and the people satisfied 
that Jesus was indeed the Messias. 

263. When was the mission of John the Baptist to 
end? 

"When he would present Christ to the Jews, call Him the 
Lamb of God, and tell that he had seen the Spirit of God 
descend upon Him. 



The Temptation of Jesus. 

Bead carefully and study verses 1-11 of the Fourth Chapter of 
St. Matthew's gospel, verses 12, 13 of the First Chapter of St. 
Mark, and verses 1-13 of the Fourth Chapter of St. Luke. 



LESSON LXXXVIII. 

Text. — -'Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert, to 
be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days 
and forty nights, afterwards He was hungry." (Matt. iv. 1, 2.) 

Reflection.— Fasting, a means of sanetification. 

264. What is the meaning of the words " led by the 
Spirit to be tempted"? 

It means that after the baptism and the divine manifesta- 



94 



PPEPABATIOX FOR PUBLIC LIFE. 



tion a divine impulse urged Jesus to put His life to the 
test aud face the worst trials to which as man He could be 
exposed. 




265. Who is the devil here referred to? 

He is the spirit of evil, the enemy of God aud man. some- 
times called the demon, whose nature is spiritual and intel- 
ligent. Here he appears for the first time in the Gospel 
to thwart the designs of redemption. He was onee a good 
angel, but he lost Ins innocence and heaven by his rebellion 
against God. 

266. Why did Jesus allow Himself to be tempted? 
To show us that temptation is not sin,, and that all men 

can resist temptation if they pray to God and mortify 
themselves. The grace of God comes by prayer and fast- 
ing, both of which are necessary for the victory. 



THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS. 95 



LESSON LXXXIX. 

Text. —"And the tempter coming said to Him: If Thou be 
the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. Who 
answered and said : It is written : Not in bread alone doth man 
live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God." 
(Matt. iv. 3, 4.) 

Reflection. — God's word is true food. 

267. To what weakness of humanity does Satan 
address himself in this first temptation ? 

To the sensual appetites, for the devil waited until 
Jesus was exhausted from hunger. He appealed to Him 
to relieve His hunger and at the same time to show His 
divine power. 

268. Why does the devil quote the Scripture ? 

In order to make it appear that the act would be entirely 
proper, as it had God's approval in the Scripture. 

269. How does Jesus answer the temptation and 
foil the devil? 

He refuses to assert His divine power, and simply quotes 
the Scripture, which tells that man needs something more 
for his life than the bread for which his body craves. The 
word of God is the truest food. 

LESSON XC. 

Text. — "Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, and 
set Him upon the pinnacle of the Temple, and said to Him: If 
Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down. For it is written : 
That He hath given His angels charge over Thee, and in their 
hands shall they bear Thee up, lest perhaps Thou dash Thy foot 
against a stone." (Matt. iv. 5, 6.) 

Reflection. — We must not tempt God. 

270. What is here meant by tho "pinnacle of the 
Temple " ? 

Probably a high point of the building, either Solomon's 



96 PREPARATION FOR PUBLIC LIFE. 

porch on the east side, or at the middle elevation on the 
royal porch. The former looked down into the valley of 
the Cedron, three hundred and thirty feet below, and the 
latter into the valley of Hinnom, six hundred feet below. 
The roof was flat, surrounded by a balustrade. 

271. To what does Satan appeal in this temptation? 

He appeals to pride, that He may thus easily succeed in 
His mission; for if Christ relies on His heavenly Father 
He will prove to all the people that He is sent from God 
and is the expected Redeemer. 

272. How did Jesus answer this temptation ? 

Reminding the devil that it is forbidden to tempt God, 
He condemns the plan of gaining even what may be good 
and desirable by means that are false and forbidden. 



LESSON XCI. 

Text. — "Again the devil took Him up into a very high moun- 
tain: and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the 
glory of them, and said to Him: All these will I give Thee, if 
falling down, Thou wilt adore me." (Matt. iv. 8, 9.) 

Reflection.— Worldly ambition. 

273. What mountain is here referred to ? 

There is much dispute as to the particular mountain. 
Many claim it to be one called Quarantania, from the top 
of which many countries may be seen. Others consider 
that by some angelic manifestation He was led to think of 
all the kingdoms placed in review before Him. 

274. How did Satan pretend to make gift of all 
kingdoms to Him ? 

Ry very stupidly representing himself as a messenger 
from God, and offering Him a temporal kingdom in ex- 
change for the spiritual one of His heart. 



THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS. 97 

275. To what did Satan appeal by this third 
temptation ? 

To the ambition of one who wanted to rule the nations, 
which he knew was the desire of the Jewish people in their 
Messias. Satan promised all the temporal power possible 
on condition that Jesus would give him the love of His 
heart; but Jesus spurned the offer, and taught Satan the 
great law of the adoration of God alone. 



LESSON XCII. 

Text. — "Then the devil left Him : and behold angels came and 
ministered to Him." (Matt. iv. 11.) 

Reflection.— God rewards the faithful servant. 

276. When did these temptations occur, and how 
are they to be classed ? 

Some assert that they occurred at intervals during the 
time Jesus spent in the desert; others that they came in 
rapid succession, just as the Evangelists relate; others that 
they were only internal. They are classed as uniting in 
one great effort to conquer Christ, and hence they are 
called "the temptation." 

277. Did Satan appear visibly to Christ, and are 
we to take the text literally ? 

There are many who answer affirmatively to both ques- 
tions; others, with Origen and St, Cyprian, maintain that 
the temptations were prompted by Satan to the mind and 
heart of Jesus, while the tempter did not appear, and that 
the Gospel uses a vivid picture to impress men with the 
designs of the evil spirit. 

278. How can you explain Satan's action towards 
Christ, since Christ is incapable of evil ? 

It can be explained only by the feeling of doubt which 
possessed the devil as to Christ's real character. Christ's 
answers gave him no knowledge of His divinity. 



98 PREPARATION FOR PUBLIC LIFE. 

BIBLE TALKS. 

Journeys of Jesus. 

Our divine Saviour had passed His boyhood and youth at 
Nazareth with His parents, following the humble avocation of a 
carpenter. When the time came for His public life, in His 
twenty-ninth year, He left home to go to John the Baptist for 
baptism. Leaving Nazareth, He went east about twenty miles, 
crossed the river Jordan, entering Decapolis, and went south 
through the Jordan valley by the east side of the river about 
sixty-five miles, until He reached a place called Bethabara, and 
there, at one of the fords of the Jordan, He was baptized. Beth- 
abara was about five miles northeast of Jericho, and is now 
known as Nimrin. The oldest manuscripts and the Vulgate call 
it Bethany, and this agrees with the traditions of the Latin 
Church, although Origen says it was Bethabara, because he could 
find no trace of Bethany, which might have disappeared before 
his time, owing to the many wars to which that country was sub- 
jected. Bethabara, in Hebrew, means the House of the Passage, 
and Bethany, t he House of Dates. After His baptism Jesus crossed 
the Jordan and entered the Judean wilderness, where He began 
His fast of forty days and where He met the great temptation. 
This desert was in all probability the uninhabited and hilly coun- 
try lying between Jerusalem and Jericho, and commonly called 
Quarantania. It was a part of the wilderness of Judea between 
those two cities on the west and the upper part of the Dead Sea 
and the Jordan on the east side. The name Quarantania, which 
means a space of forty days, is thought to have come from 
Christ's fast of forty days in one of its caves. It was here that 
Christ buried Himself from the world, to give Himself up to 
prayer and fasting, in order to prepare Himself for His great 
mission. This desert has had many hermits since, who have 
peopled its many caves and lived in imitation of Christ. 



REVIEW. 99 

Review. 

LESSOX XCIII. 

Text. — "For there is no other name under heaven given to 
men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts iv. 12.) 
Reflection. — The sweet name of Jesus. 

279. Give a general appreciation of the work done 
in study of the birth, youth, and early life of Our 
Saviour. 

280. When, and where, was Christ born, and what 
were the circumstances of His birth? (Page 58.) 

281. What do you understand by the presentation 
of Our Lord, and what were the incidents connected 
with it? (Page 62.) 

LESSOX XCIV. 

Text. — "The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer pres- 
ents; the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring gifts." 
(Psa. lxxi. 10.) 

Reelection. — Mankind worshipping the Redeemer. 

282. Describe the visit of the Magi. (Page 65.) 

283. What was the flight into Egypt, and why was it 
undertaken? (Page 70.) 

284. Mention some incidents in the boyhood of 
Christ. (Page 75.) 

LESSOX XCV. 

Text. — " And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth: 
and was subject to them." (Luke ii. 51.) 
Reflection. — Filial reverence-. 

285. Tell the incident called " Jesus in the Temple." 
(Page 79.) 

286. Where did John the Baptist exercise his min- 
istry, and what were the characteristics of it? (Page 
84.) 

287. Describe the baptism of Christ in the Jordan. 
(Page 90.) 



100 PREPARATION FOR PUBLIC LIFE. 



LESSON XCVI. 

Text. — "Be gone Satan: for it is written: The Lord thy God 
shalt thou adore, and Him only shalt thou serve." (Matt. iv. 10.) 
Reflection. — Adoration belongs to God alone. 

288. Analyze the great temptation and explain it. 
(Page 93.) 

289. Tell something of education among the Jews. 
(Page 88.) 

290. Describe some one of the journeys of Jesus as 
studied in the preceding pages. (Page 98.) 



BIBLE TALKS. 

The Bible and Tradition. 

We have seen bow necessary it is to bave the finger of God 
pointing out to us the meaning of His holy word. The standard 
of interpretation by which we can see God's meaning is found. in 
the sacred deposit of faith received by the apostles from Jesus 
Christ. Now wo are not depending upon this one book, even 
though that book be the Bible. All sacred truth is not in it, 
although all that is in it is sacred truth. The Church teaches us 
that there is besides the Bible that which is known as tradition. 
We will explain what is meant by tradition, and we will see how 
the Bible needs tradition in order that we may know the whole 
truth. What is tradition ? It is the body of truths belonging to 
faith and morals, some of which are not clearly stated in Scrip- 
ture, but given by word of mouth from Christ to the apostles and 
by them handed down in continued succession. We remember 
that St. John, at the close of his gospel, says there is much not 
written and which if written would fill many books. The apostles 
received from Christ much which they did not commit to writing 
and yet this was divine truth equally with the written word. 
Their disciples received these unwritten messages and treasured 
them as apostolical traditions. It is that to which St. Paul refers 
when he urges the Thessalonians "to stand fast and hold the 
traditions which they had learned, whether by word or by our 
epistles." It was divine tradition, received from the elders, 



REVIEW. 101 

which led the Jews to receive as the word of God the canon of 
Scripture and the Mosaic law. Tradition tells us of the abolition 
of the Sabbath and the institution of the Sunday, and it is 
authority for infant baptism and for the settlement of the famous 
controversy of rebaptizing as urged between St. Augustine and 
St. Cyprian. It was not in the economy of redemption that any 
one book should contain all the doctrine of salvation, or that any 
book was to be man's sole guide in faith and morals. 

From the beginning the truths of religion had been preserved 
by tradition, which, carried from patriarchal line to prophetical, 
were not gathered in a book until Moses wrote twenty-five 
hundred years after Adam. But there was an unbroken tradition 
from fattier to son, from family to family, by which men knew 
the will of God and the truths of religion. When Christ came, He 
selected disciples, and from them apostles; He conversed with 
them and instructed them in the mysteries of God. To them He 
gave His power and His mission, and He sent them to preach 
everywhere, teaching mankind what He had commanded them 
and promising to be with them always, and that He would send 
the Spirit of truth to teach them truth and abide with them for- 
ever. Their mission was to teach and man's duty was to obey 
them if he would be saved. "He that heareth you heareth Me." 
Christ wrote nothing, neither did He commission them to write. 
Christ preached, the apostles preached. Occasion demanded 
letters to the churches established, or circumstances led to the 
recording of events in the life of Christ and the apostles. No- 
where can we find any evidence that all was written, or that any 
book was intended to be the sole rule of life. St. John Chrysostom 
says: " The apostles did not come down from the mountain bear- 
ing tablets of stone in their hands as did Moses, but bearing in 
their minds the Holy Ghost, and ministering a treasure and foun- 
tain of doctrine and of graces, they having themselves become, by 
divine grace, living books and codes of law." 



PART V. 

Ube public %itc of Gbrfst. 



2FJJ&ST I\#^i2 OF HIS MINISTRY. 
St. John the Baptist announces Christ. 




Read carefully and study verses 19-51 of the First Chapter of 
8t. John's gospel. 

102 



ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST ANNOUNCES CHRIST 10! 



lesson xcvn. 

Text.— "And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews 
sent from Jerusalem priests and Levites to him, to ask him: Who 
art thou?" (John i. 19.) 

Reflection.— John as a witness of Christ. 

291. What urged the Jewish leaders to send an 
embassy to John ? 

The people were greatly excited by his extraordinary 
preaching and his remarkable virtues. His frequent refer- 
ence to the kingdom of heaven as near at hand led them 
to suspect him to be the Messias for whom they hoped. 
This led them to inquire as to his character as the Messias. 

292. Why did they ask him if he was Elias or the 
prophet ? 

Because they had always believed that Elias would 
come again before the Messias, or at least that a prophet 
would precede His coming. 

293. What prophecy had they in mind ? 

That of Malachias iv. 5: " Behold, I will send you Elias 
the prophet, before the coining of the great and dreadful 
day of the Lord." And also the word of the angel, 
Luke i. 17 : "And he shall go before Him in the spirit and 
power of Elias : that he may turn the hearts of the fathers 
unto the children, and the incredulous to the wisdom of 
the just, to prepare unto the Lord a perfect people/' 

294. How long had John been preaching when this 
embassy went to him ? 

It seems quite certain that he had been preaching and 
baptizing for several months, so that his fame went far and 
wide. 



104 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



LESSON XCVIII. 

Text. — "And lie confessed, and did not deny: and he con- 
fessed: I am not the Christ. And they asked him: What then? 
Art thou Elias? And he said: I am not. Art thou the prophet ? 
And he answered: No.' 1 (John i. 20, 21.) 

Keflection.— Humility of John. 

295. What was John's answer to all their ques- 
tions ? 

He said that he was not the Messias, nor Elias, nor the 

prophet. 

296. What did he call himself, and what did it 

mean ? 

JI.c called himself a voice in the wilderness, because he 
foretold the coming of Christ, and called people to do 
penance as a preparation for that coming. 

297. How was John a witness to Christ ? 

By telling the world that Christ was the Son of God, as 
lie himself had been told by the voice of God at His baptism 
in the Jordan. 

LESSON XCIX. 

Text. — "The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and he 
saith : Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takcth away the 
sin of the world." (John i. 29.) 

Reflection. — Jesus our atonement. 

298. When did Christ appear to John ? 

He appeared after His great temptation. This was 
Christ's first public appearance, after His trial in the 
desert. 

299. What did John call Him, and why did he use 
that term ? 

He called Him the Lamb of God who taketh away the 



ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST ANNOUNCES CHRIST. 105 

sin of man. This was because He was the Paschal Lamb 
who was to atone for the sins of man, and a lamb was the 
usual offering for sin. 

300. How did John know Jesus when He came to 
him from the desert ? 

He had seen the Spirit of God descend upon Him when 
lie baptized Him in the Jordan, and he heard the voice 
calling Him "My beloved Son." This was evidence to 
him that He was the Messias, the only Son of God. 



LESSON C. 

Text. — "And Andrew the brother of Simon Peter was one of 
the two who had heard of John, and followed him. He findeth 
first his brother Simon. . . . And he brought him to Jesus. And 
Jesus looking upon him, said: Thou art Simon the son of Jona: 
thou shalt be called Cephas; which is interpreted, Peter." (John 
i. 40-42.) 

Reflection.— The call of Jesus Christ, 

301. Who is the second one of John's disciples, who 
is said to have followed Christ ? 

It is generally supposed to be John, the beloved disciple, 
the son of Zebedee and the writer of the gospel which bears 
his name. 

302. What other disciples joined them at that 
time ? 

Simon, Philip, and Nathanael, and these, with Andrew 
and John, formed the first disciples of Christ. 

303. Why did Nathanael hesitate ? 

Because, among the Jews, Nazareth at that time did not 
bear a very good name — in fact it was a place of reproach. 
Consequently he did not think it possible that the Messias 
could come from such a place. 



106 



THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



The Miracle at Cana. 




Read can fully and study verses 1-11 of the Second Chapter of 
st. Jo) 'in' 's gospel. 

LESSON CI. 

Text. — "And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of 
Galilee: and the Mother of Jesns was there. And Jesus also was 
invited, and His disciples, to the marriage." (John ii. 1, 2.) 

Reflection. — By His presence Jesns sanctifies the family life. 

304. What is meant by the " third day " ? 

It may refer to the time of departure from Bethabara, or 
the calling of Nathanael and the first disciples. By some 
it is thought to refer to the third day of the week. Wednes- 
day, the. day set by the Jewish law for tin' marriage of 
maidens. 



THE MIRACLE AT CANA. 107 

305. Where had Jesus been previous to this incident, 
and whence did He come ? 

After the temptation He went to the Jordan and was 
recognized as the Lamb of God, selected a few disciples, 
journeyed north to Nazareth, and not finding His mother, 
came to Cana. 

306. Where was Cana, and why was it called Cana 
of Galilee ? 

Cana of Galilee was a village or town not far from 
Capharnaum, and about four and a half miles northeast 
from Nazareth. There was another Cana in Aser, men- 
tioned in Josne xix. 28, and the word Galilee is used to 
accurately locate the place of the miracle of Jesus. It is 
now known as Kefr Kenna, where a ruined church stands 
on the very spot of the wedding-feast. 

LESSON OIL 

Text. — "And the wine failing, t lie Mother of Jesus saith to 
Him : They have no wine. And Jesus saith to her : Woman, 
what is it to Me, and to thee ? My hour is not yet come." (John 
ii. 3, 4.) 

Reflection. —The kindness of friendship. 

307. "What did the failing of the wine indicate? 

It is thought to indicate that the family of the wedding- 
party was poor and humble as Jesus Himself, and the 
advent of the disciples made extra demands upon its hospi- 
tality. 

308. Why did the Blessed Virgin precede Jesus to 
the marriage ? 

It is supposed that as she was a close friend and perhaps 
a relative of the family, she went from friendship to help 
in the preparations for the feast. 

309. Who were the disciples who accompanied Jesus? 
Those whom He called to follow Him after His visit to 



108 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

the Baptist; namely, Andrew, Peter, Philip, Nathanael, 
John, and probably James, John's brother. 

LESSON CUT. 

Text. — " His mother saith to the waiters : Whatsoever He shall 
say to yon, do ye. Now there were set there six water-pots of 
stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, 
containing two or three measures a piece. Jesus saith to them : 
Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them to the 
brim." (John ii. 5-7.) 

Reflection. — Mary's influence with Jesus. 

310. Was the term "Woman," as used by Jesus, a 
reproach ? 

No; the word Woman, like our English word Madam, 
was a form of polite address among Eastern people. In 
the Greek it is considered as most respectful. In the 
English, woman sounds harsh and reproachful, but it is 
noi so in the original. It is not to be supposed that Jesus, 
the model of all virtues, would use a term of reproach to 
His mother. 

311. How did Mary receive it and understand it? 
She evidently knew that Jesus would work a miracle at 

her suggestion, as she immediately commanded the servants 
to obey Him. She certainly accepted His words, not as a 
reproach, but as reminding her of His submission to the 
divine will. 

312. How did it happen that so many water-pots of 
stone were there ? 

Because of the multiplied purifications and ablutions of 
the Jews, whose laws bound them to the washing of the 
feet of guests and to the cleansing of hands frequently 
before all ceremonies. As this marriage at ('ana was a most 
noteworthy one, provision was made for the many guests 
who bail been invited. 



THE Mill AC LE AT CAN A. 109 



LESSON CIV. 

Text. — "Jesus saitli to them : Fill the water-pots with water. 
Ami they filled them up to the brim. And Jesus saith to them : 
Draw out now, and carry to the chief steward of the feast. And 
they carried it. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of 
Galilee : and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in 
Him." (John ii. 7, 8, 11.) 

Reflection. — Great kindness of Jesus Christ. 

313. Why were these stone water-pots used, rather 
than the wine vessels? 

That it might not be said that water was merely added 
to the wine remaining in the vessels, and also that the 
quantity might silence all doubt. 

314. What was the size of these water-pots? 

As a measure or firkin stands for about nine gallons and 
the Gospel says that they held two or three measures, they 
must have held from eighteen to twentv-seven gallons. 

315. Who was the chief steward? 

He was usually a friend of the bridegroom, appointed to 
preside over the feast, looking after the arrangements, and 
tasting all wines before serving. 

LESSON CV. 

Text. — "This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Gali- 
lee: and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in 
Him." (John ii. 11.) 

Reflection.— The divine power of Christ. 

316. What motives had Christ in performing this 
miracle ? 

That men, seeing His power, might be induced to believe 
in Him as the Son of God, with a mission of salvation to 
them, and that help to the neighbor in his necessities is a 
duty for all men. 



110 THE PUBLIC LITE OF OHBTST. 

317. What is meant by the manifesting of His 
glory ? 

It means that the power which He exercised was His 

own. and the glory that resulted belonged to Himself, a 
He was truly God. 

318. What did Jesus mean when He said "My hour 
has not yet come" ? 

It may have meant either that He wished to wait until 
the wine had absolutely failed, or that He had intended 
not to manifest His divine power until He reached Jerusa- 
lem. In deference to His mother, however. He would 
perform the miracle when she requested it. 



BIBLE TALKS. 

A Jewish Marriage. 

The marriage of a Jewish maiden was attended with much 
pomp an >ny, the most brilliant part of which was the 

S£ ii formed by the bridal conple, surrounded by the whole 
family. As Fouai - - Lt The long veil was a distinctive feat- 
ure of the betrothed maiden, not only covering the head, but 
enwreatbing the whole body and concealing from .sight the white 
and gold-embroidered robe, her jewels, and the crown of myrtle 
that encircled her brow. The young maid, thus attired, awaited 
the bridal retinue. By her side the bridemaid kept watch with 
the ten virgins, who accompanied her with lamps in their hands. 
The bridegroom's coming is announced, and the procession, led 
by a troop of singers and lute and tambourine players, advan 
leading the bridegroon _ _ isly clad, his : wreathed 

with a golden turban entwined with myrtle and n ae. About 
him march his ten friends, call. 'Sons "f the Groom,' hold s 
palm -branches in their hands, while his kinsmen, acting 

tar lighted torches. The brideg s mpanions 

r within the dwelling of the bride, who is led by him towards 

the threshold, where he receives the tables of stone on which is 

inscribed the dowry. Then all go to the groom's house, where 

the banquet is held. The feast lasted for s ys, and was 



JESUS AT CAPHARNAUM. 



Ill 



enjoyed by all. Wine was the common drink of the people, and 
this was given in lavish hospitality at all marriage feasts. 



Jesus at Capharnaum. 




Read carefully and study verse 12 of the Second Chapter of 
St, John's gospel; also verse Id of the Fourth Chapter of St. 
Matthew ; and verse 23 of the Fourth Chapter of St. Luke. 



LESSON CVI. 

Text. — " After this He went down to Capharnaum He and His 
mother, and His brethren, and His disciples: and they remained 
there not many days." (John ii. 12.) 

Reflection.— Fidelity to one's mission. 

319. After the marriage of Cana, whither did Jesus 



go? 



He returned to Nazareth, and almost immediately went 



112 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST 

to Capharnauin, which was about the distance of a day's 
journey. 

320. Where was Capharnaum, and what was it to 
be called ? 

It was a small city on the north shore of the Sea of 
Galilee, in the land of Genesareth, and was afterwards to 
be known as " His own city." 

321. Why was it to be known as Christ's own city ? 
Because at His rejection by Nazareth Christ took up 

His abode there, and it became the scene of His greatest 
miracles. It was the home of the apostles Peter, Matthew, 
and Andrew, and also of the famous centurion who, some 
years before, had built its synagogue, in which Christ was 
later to teach. 

LESSON CVII. 

Text. — "And, leaving the city Nazareth, He came and dwelt 
in Capharnaum on t lie sea-coast, in the borders of Zabulon and 
of Nephthalim." (Matt. iv. 13.) 

Reflection.— Ingratitude of Nazareth. 

322. Describe the Sea of Galilee, and give the 
names by which it is known. 

This "cither-shaped lake," as it has been called, was 
about fourteen miles long and six wide. It was one of the 
three basins filled by the waters of the Jordan on its way 
to the south. It was also called the Sea of Tiberias or 
Genesareth, or even Capharnaum, because of the towns on 
its banks or the country surrounding it. 

323. What was the character of Capharnaum ? 

It was regarded as one of the most delightful places in 
these *'• Gardens of Princes," as the rabbis interpreted the 
meaning of Genesareth, within the confines of which it 
lay. It had its custom-house, synagogue, and some rich 
dwellings. 



JESUS AT CAPHARNAUM. 113 

324. Why did Jesus visit Capharnaum at this 
time? 

That He might thus manifest Himself in the principal 
town in Galilee before going to Jerusalem and beginning 
His ministry of preaching. 

LESSON CVIII. 

Text. — "As great things as we have heard done in Caphar- 
naum, do also here in Thy own country." (Luke iv. 23.) 
Keflection. — Unbelief demanding a miracle. 

325. How long did Christ stay in Capharnaum? 
According to the Gospel narrative His first sojourn was 

very short, in fact it lasted but a few clays. The law of 
the Pasch called Him to Jerusalem. 

326. Did He perform any miracles during this visit? 

The taunt of the Nazarenes, as related in the text from 
St. Luke, would lead us to infer that He did, as the renown 
of the miracles had spread through Galilee. They must 
be included in the many unrelated miracles referred to, by 
St. John, at the end of his gospel. 

327. How did Jesus go to Jerusalem for the feast of 
the Pasch? 

He joined company with the pilgrims in the caravans. 

He took the route through Perea, by way of Bethany and 

the Mount of Olives. 

LESSON CIX. 

Text.— "And the Pasch of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus 
went up to Jerusalem." (John ii. 13.) 
Reflection. — Obedience to the law. 

328. What is meant by the brethren of Jesus? Were 
they brothers as we understand the word ? 

No. Jesus was the only child of Mary, His mother, 

Joseph being His foster-father. Among the Jews there 



114 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CUBIST. 

were not many words expressing degrees of relationship. 
Hence relatives were frequently called brethren. The 
brethren referred to were cousins of Jesus. 

329. Who were those brethren spoken of in the last 
lessons ? 

They were James the Lesser, Joseph, Simon, and Judas 
called Thaddeus, John, and James the Greater. Some of 
these were the children of Mary, wife of Cleophas or Al- 
pheus, the sister or, as some say, cousin of the Blessed 
Virgin. This Mary was afterwards at the cross with the 
Mother of Jesus. 

330. When did the journey to Jerusalem take place? 

It is generally supposed to have taken place at Easter, 
a.d. 30, and was the beginning of Christ's second journey 
in the first year of His public ministry. 

BIBLE TALKS. 

The Bible and Tradition. (Continued.) 

We have talked about the place which tradition holds in making 
known the entire truth of God, for we have seen that the Bible 
does not pretend to contain all the truth which God wishes men 
to believe. Our blessed Saviour told many things to the apostles 
which were never committed to writing, but which became apos- 
tolical traditions, such as the abolition of the Sabbath, the in- 
stitution of Sunday as the Lord's day, the Baptism of infants, 
and many other points of belief upon which the Bible, as St. 
Augustine says, offers only conjectures. A writer has been led 
to say: "The apostles were the book which Jesus Christ wrote — 
a book written not with ink, but with the Holy Ghost." St. 
Matthew was the first to write a gospel, but this was not written 
for several years after the Ascension of Christ. Though some 
of the Fathers had made a list of the inspired books, the New 
Testament, as such, was not canonized until the Council of Hippo 
in 393, when it first appears as a collection of sacred writings. 
Tradition established its authenticity, and the Christian world so 
received it. The Council of Trent in 1546 reaffirmed its integrity 



JESUS AT CAPHABXAriL 115 

against the attacks of the so-called Reformation. The people of 
God, from the beginning of their records, retained doctrines as 
divinely revealed which were not committed to writing. The divine 
worship, the existence and nature of angels, everything concerning 
the Redeemer, were all preserved without scriptures, first by the 
patriarchs in an ordinary ministry, and then by the prophets in 
an extraordinary ministry. Remember what Moses says in his 
canticle, ''Remember the days of old, think upon every genera- 
tion. Ask thy father and he will declare for thee ; thy elders 
and they will tell thee." The holy man Job said, "Inquire of 
thy former generation and search diligently into the memory 
of thy fathers and they shall teach thee." 

From the time of Moses the priesthood existed to interpret and 
convey traditions. Our blessed Saviour followed some practices 
which are alone warranted by tradition, and so did the Pharisees 
in many of their religious observances. The early Christian 
Church, in the words of its defenders, stands strongly for tradi- 
tion. St. Irena&us, in condemning the heresy of Valentinian 
and Marcion. says : " But when we challenge them to that tradi- 
tion which is from the apostles, which is preserved in the 
churches through the successions of presbyters, the heretics are 
averse to tradition, saying that being themselves not only wiser 
than presbyters, but even than apostles, they have discovered the 
genuine truth. Thus it turns out that, at last, they neither assent 
to the Scriptures nor to tradition," Origen, another teacher of 
the early Church, in the third century said, "That alone is to be 
believed to be truth which in nothing differs from the ecclesiastical 
and apostolical tradition ;" and again, "Xot to believe otherwise 
than as the churches of God have by succession transmitted to 
ns." The Council of Trent says those traditions are divine which, 
received by the apostles from the mouth of Christ Himself, or 
from the apostles themselves at the dictation of the Holy Ghost, 
have come down even to us, transmitted, as it were, from hand 
to hand. 

Remember that these traditions have the same authority as the 
Scriptures, for both are the word of God ; one is called the written 
word, and the other the unwritten word. These traditions are 
found in the creeds of the Church, in the works of the Fathers, 
and in the decrees of Popes and councils. They are now written 
and found in books, but they were not written under the inspira- 



11' 



THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



tion of the writers of the Scriptures, and are but the expressions 
of the living voice of the Church. Holy Scripture and Divine 
Tradition, as understood and interpreted by the Church, form 
the Catholic rule of faith. 

Christ Purges the Temple. 




Bead carefully and study verses 13-25 of the Second Chapter 
of St. John's gospel, and make references to verse 14 of the Four- 
teenth Chapter of Exodus and verses 1-16 of the Sixteenth 
Chapter of Deuteronomy. 

LESSON CX. 

Text. — "And He found in the Temple them that sold oxen 
and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting." (John 
ii. 14.) 

Reflection. — Irreverence in the house of God. 

331. Was Jesus bound to go to the Temple? Why 
did He go at this time ? 

lie was certainly not bound; but lie desired by His 



CHRIST PURGES THE TEMPLE. 117 

example to teach obedience to law. He also wished to 
begin His public ministry with the Jews in Jerusalem, and 
the Passover gave Him a great opportunity to meet them 
from all sections. 

332. What is meant by the words "in the Temple"? 

It means the outer court, or the court of the Gentiles. 
This court had an area of about fourteen acres, and was 
separated from the inner court by a high wall. 

333. Why were oxen, sheep, and doves in this court 
as in a market-place ? 

For the convenience of the Jews, who were obliged by 
the law to offer sacrifice on feast-days. Oxen and sheep 
were the gifts of the rich, and doves came from the poor. 

LESSON CXI. 

Text. — "And when He had made as it were a scourge of little 
cords, He drove them all out of the Temple, the sheep also and 
the oxen, and the money of the changers He poured out, and the 
tables He overthrew." (John ii. 15.) 

Eeflection. — Cleansing of the soul from sin. 

334. Why were money-changers in the Temple ? 

To make the exchange of money easy for all visitors to 
pay the yearly Temple tax and buy materials for the sacri- 
fices. 

335. What was the yearly Temple tax ? 

Half a shekel from every Jew, however poor. It was 
called by the law "stamped double drachma." The coin 
was a native one, and hence had to be purchased in Jeru- 
salem in the Temple. It was worth about twenty-eight 
cents. 

336. Why was Christ indignant against all this 
bargaining ? 

Because the Temple had become a market-place for 



118 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. - 

traffic. Usury and fraud resulted from the avarice of men 
who sought to make money by trading on the religious 
needs of the people. 

LESSON CXII. 

Text. — "And to them that sold doves, He said: Take these 
things hence, and make not the house of My Father, a house of 
traffic. And His disciples remembered that it was written: The 
zeal of Thy house hath eaten Me up." (John ii. 1G, 17.) 

Reflection. — Zeal for the house of God. 

337. What did Christ do when He saw these 
abuses ? 

Jle took some of the flexible rushes which Orientals plat 
together like cords, and, twisting them into a whip, He 
drove out the animals and overturned the money-tables. 

338. How did the people act towards Him ? 

They were utterly amazed, and regarded Him as a relig- 
ious fanatic; still they realized that lie was right in vindi- 
cating the honor of the Temple. 

339. When they had recovered from their surprise, 
what did they ask ? 

They asked Jesus to show by what authority lie acted 
thus, that they might know if lie were a prophet or one 
sent, from God. 

LESSON CXIII. 

Text. — "Jesus answered and said to them: Destroy this 
temple, and in three days I will raise it up. The Jews then said: 
Six and forty years was this Temple in building, and wilt Thou 
raise it up in three days ? But He spoke of the temple of His 
body." (John ii. 19-21.) 

Reflection. — Promise of His resurrection. 

340. What did the Jews understand by these words 
of Christ ? 

They took them literally, and applied them to the 



JESUS AND NICODEMUS. 119 

beautiful Temple in which they stood, which had been 
begun by Herod the Great, and which, after forty-six 
years, was not then entirely completed. They held this 
same interpretation afterwards, as we see in the accusations 
against Christ during His Passion. 

341. "What did Christ mean by the rebuilding ol 
the temple ? 

He meant, as St. John says, the temple of His body, 
which was to be crucified and in three days afterwards 
would be raised from the dead again by His own 
power. 

342. What was, then, to be the sign of Christ's 
authority in the world ? 

His resurrection from the dead, which was to prove that 
His mission was divine, that His doctrine was truth, 
and that He was indeed the Son of God and the true 
Messias. 



Jesus and Nicodemus. 

Read carefully and study verses 1-21 of the Third Chapter of 
JSt. John's gospel, and also verse 9 of the Twenty-first Chapter of 
Numbers. 

LESSON CXIV. 

Text. — "And there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nico- 
demus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night, 
and said to Him: Rabbi, we know that Thou art come a teacher 
from God, for no man can do these signs which Thou dost, unless 
God be with him." (John iii. 1, 2.) 

Reflection.-— Earnest search after truth. 

343. Who were the Pharisees, to whom Nicodemus 
belonged ? 

They were a very strict and religious sect among the 



120 



THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



Jews. They professed a great love for the Scriptures, and 
lived in expectation of the Messias, who, according to their 
belief, was to be a great temporal prince. They despised 
all other Jews. 



344. What is meant by the word " ruler " ? 

The Sanhedrim or council of seventy was composed of 
learned men who had great authority and respect among 
the Jews. They were often called rulers. Nicodemus 
was most probably one of these. 




345. "Why did he seek Jesus by night ? 

It is thought that he was anxious to meet Jesus and ask 
Him questions which would determine his faith. He was 
afraid of public comment, and therefore from motives of 
worldly prudence he chose the night that he might not be 
seen. 



JBSUS AND MC 01) EM US. 121 



LESSON CXV. 

Text. — "Jesus answered, and said to him: Amen, amen I say 
to thee, unless a man be born again, lie cannot see the kingdom 
of God." (John iii. 3.) 

Reflection. — The conditions of salvation. 

346. What did the title rabbi signify, and to 
whom did it apply ? 

It was a title of honor and distinction and was applied 
to men of learning who were recognized as teachers. The 
Jews used it freqnently in addressing Christ. 

347. Why did Nicodemus assert that Jesus was a 
teacher from God ? 

Because he had seen some of His works, and he knew 
that only a teacher from God could perform the miracles 
which he witnessed, for they Lore the marks of God's 
approbation. 

348. Did not this imply a belief in Jesus as the 
Messias ? 

Xot necessarily, as He might have been a prophet sent 
by God to announce certain truths, as had often happened 
in the history of the Jews. Nicodemns wanted to find out 
if He were snch a prophet or the true Messias. 



LESSOX CXVL 

Text. — "Xicodemus saith to Him: How can a man be born 
when lie is old ? Can he enter a second time into his mother's 
womb and be born again ?" (John iii. 4.) 

Reflection. — The mystery of regeneration. 

349. What did Jesus mean by the words "born 
again " ? 

He wanted to make Xicodemus understand the new 



122 IRE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIS! 1 .' 

birtli that was to become a necessary condition of salvation. 
As under the Jewish law a man became a child of Abraham 
by circumcision, so under Christ he becomes a child of God 
by the regeneration of Baptism. 

350. How was this new birth to be effected ? 

By the Spirit of God, which, through the waters of 
Christian Baptism, was to effect a change in the hearts of 
believers. 

351. How has the Council of Trent interpreted the 
words of " water and the Holy Ghost " ? 

It has declared that these words refer to the Sacrament 
of Baptism. Nicodcmus, too, could have so understood 
them, for John the Baptist had announced that the Messias 
would baptize with the Holy Ghost. Thus a supernatural 
effect was given to the water in Baptism. 



LESSON CXVII. 

Text.— "Jesus answered: Amen, amen I say to thoe, unless a 
man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, ho cannot enter 
into the kingdom of G-od. That which is horn of the flesh, is 
flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit. Nicodemus 
answered, and said to Him: How can these things be done?" 
(John iii. 5, 6, 9.) 

Reflection. — The new birth. 

352. By the words "how can these things be 
done " did Nicodemus express doubt in the words of 
Christ ? 

No. He no longer doubted the substance of what Christ 
taught, but he questioned about the way of its fulfilment. 

353. What did He mean by " earthly things " ? 

He meant the visible things which happen on earth, and 
which are seen by men and yet are not believed. 



JESUS AND NICODEMUS. 123 

354. How is the word "Spirit" interpreted, and to 
whom does it refer ? 

It is generally interpreted to mean the Holy Ghost, 
through whose working in the soul the new birth or regen- 
eration is effected. As an agent He is invisible, but He 
produces a real effect in the soul. 



LESSON CXVIII. 

Text. — "Jesus answered, and said to him: Art thou a master 
in Israel, and knowest not these things ? If I have spoken to you 
earthly things, and you believe not : how will you believe if I 
shall speak to you heavenly things ? And as Moses lifted up the 
serpent in the desert; so must the Son of man be lifted up: that 
whosoever believeth in Him, may not perish, but may have life 
everlasting." (John iii. 10, 12, 14, 15.) 

Reflection. — Salvation by the cross. 

355. To what did Christ refer when He reproached 
Nicodemus with not knowing His meaning ? 

He referred to what the prophecies foretold of Christ, 
the Passion, and the redemption. As a master or teacher 
of the law, Nicodemus should have remembered the 
prophecies. 

356. What did the reference to Moses bring to 
mind ? 

The great central truth of Christ's life, that as Moses 
lifted up the serpent, so that all who looked upon it might 
live, so Christ must be lifted up on the cross, and thus 
restore all men to true life. 

357. Did Nicodemus follow Christ, or do we hear 
from him again ? 

It is not clear that he followed Christ then, although he 
is reported to have made a feeble appeal to the Sanhedrim 
for Him. He is not seen again until the crucifixion, when 
he became a stanch follower of Christ. 



124 



THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



Jesus and the Samaritan Woman. 

Read carefully and study verses 1-42 of the Fourth Chapter 
of St. John's gospel, and also verses 18-20 of the Twenty-third 
Chapter of Genesis. 




LESSON CXIX. 

Text. — " He cometh therefore to a city of Samaria which is 
called Sichar: near the land which Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 
Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore being wearied with 
His journey, sat thus on the well. It was about the sixth hour." 
(John iv. 5, 6.) 

Reflection.— Kindness to one's enemies. 



358. Why did Jesus withdraw from Judea and 
enter Samaria ? 

Because of the hostility of the religions leaders, who now 
turned their attention from John the Baptist to Jesus. 



JESUS AND THE SAMARITAN WOMAN. 125 

The cleansing of the Temple and the advocacy of the new 
rite of Baptism caused great hatred. 

359. When did all this happen in the life of Christ? 
Late in December or early in January, about seven 

lonths after He began His ministry. 

360. Why did Jesus go into Samaria? 

The natural way to reach Galilee was through Samaria, 
which, though practically a part of Judea, was greatly 
separated from it by the mutual hatreds. 



LESSON CXX. 

Text. — "There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water. 
Jesus saith to her : Give Me to drink. For His disciples were 
gone into the city to buy meats. Then that Samaritan woman 
saith to Him: How dost Thou, being a Jew, ask of me to drink, 
who am a Samaritan woman ? For the Jews do not communi- 
cate with the Samaritans." (John iv. 7, 8, 9.) 

Keflection — Love of Jesus for all men. 

361. Where did Jesus and His disciples rest at the 
time mentioned in this incident ? 

They rested on a low wall built around the well of Jacob. 
(See Genesis xxiii. 18-20.) This well was near the town 
of Sichar, close to the base of the "mountain and near the 
road to Gazirim, where the Samaritans had their temple. 
Sichar is probably the modern Askar. 

362. What were the reasons that led the Jews to hold 
no intercourse with the Samaritans ? 

The Jews were a pure race, that is, unmixed with other 
peoples, while the Samaritans, through intermarriage with 
the Assyrians, had created racial and religious antagonisms, 
which led to a rival temple. 



126 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRLST. 

363. Why did Jesus ignore all prejudices and ask the 
Samaritan woman for water ? 

He wished by this to break down these prejudices, and 
show at once that all men are children of God and called 
to salvation. 



LESSON CXXI. 

Text. — "Jesus answered, and said to her: If thou didst know 
the gift of God, and who He is that saith to thee. Give Me to 
drink: thou perhaps wouldst have asked of Him, and He would 
have given thee living water." (John iv. 10. ) 

Reflection.— Gift of the Spirit of God. 

364. What is the "living water" which Christ offers 
to the Samaritan woman ? 

The living water of which Christ speaks refers to the 
Spirit of God, eternal life, symbolized by the waters of the 
spring, which Easterns called "living water. " As water 
springs from an unfailing source and is fresh and overflow- 
ing, so the Spirit of God is the source of every virtue and 
of all good. 

365. Why did she allude to Jacob, of whom she 
claimed to be a descendant? 

She meant to say that as the well was good enough for 
Jacob, who according to her ideas was the greatest of men, it 
was good enough for his children, and she asks Christ if 
He has a better one. She thinks only of material good, 
represented by the well which she sees. 

366. What did Christ mean by " true adorers " ? 

He meant men who worship, not by mere forms, but 
with true heart service. He wanted to condemn the ab- 
sence of real devotion, which was manifested in servility to 
the letter of the law, while ignoring the spirit of it. 



JBSUB AMJ THE <AMARITAX WOMAN. 121 



le— ;xii. 

Text— 5ii I perceive that Thou art a prophet. Our fathers 
adored ou this mountain, and You say, tbat at Jerusalem is the 
place where men must adore. Jesus saith to her : Wouiau believe 
hat the hour cometb, when you shall neither on this moun- 
tain, nor in Jerusalem adore the Father. But the hour comet h, 
anil now is. wheu the true adorers shall adore the Father in 
spirit aud in truth." (John iv. 19-21 , . 

Reflection. — True service of God. 

36 7. Why did this woman recognize that Jesus was 
?. "_: ". : Z- - ^ : ' 

Because He read the secret of her heart and told her of 
her sins, and she felt that He could know this only by 
divine power, although it was she who betrayed her sin- 
fulness by coming at midday to the well, which 
against the received canons of womanly modesty in those 
days. 

368. Why did Jesus refer to her sins and thus pub- 
licly upbraid her? 

In order to show that the surest way to purify the heart 
is to enlighten the mind. He also wished to use her as an 
instrument for the manifestation of His divine mission, aud 
this she" became, as her anxiety to make Him known to her 
people shows quite plainly. 

. What was the result of this incident on the 
miss:::i :: Christ I 

It brought the Samaritans under His influence during 
the two days He spent among them, and He was recognized 
in their little town of Samaria as the Saviour of the world. 
Thev accepted Him in His hnmility. while the Jews were 
looking for a mighty king who was to restore Israel to the 
greatness of political and material power. 



128 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF C HEIST. 

BIBLE TALKS. 
The Catholic Church Loves the Bible. 

Some people would have you believe that the Catholic Church 
is the enemy of the Bible, and they say that it is because she is 
afraid of the Bible. ^Ve know how wicked such an assertion is, 
because it is so untrue. Ask those people to tell you from whom 
they received whatever they have of the Bible to-day. Is it not 
from the Catholic Church \ Bible Christianity, as it is called, did 
not come into existence until the sixteenth century, and took as the 
-: which was to give it its religious forms the very book which 
the Catholic Church for fifteen centuries before had preserved 
and defended. She was the only witness in the world to the fact 
that the saints and doctors of the Christian Church had kept the 
Bible from being destroyed or mutilated. The Catholic Church 
has carefully guarded the treasure of the word of God and 
jealously watched over every line in it. Her doctors and scholars 
have been urged to a life of labor in determining its genuine 
readings and in making its sense clear. Volume on volume, in 
every language under the sun, has been written by them to make 
known its value and its authentic character. In days of persecu- 
tion her children were threatened with direct punishment for 
abandoning any one of the sacred books to the infidel. The 
decrees of her councils from Laodicea to the Vatican have deter- 
mined the authenticity and the genuineness of the sacred text. 
Her monks and nuns, her priests and religious, have been obliged 
to recite from it daily in the holy office : her preachers have been 
forced to explain it to the people, and every doctrine in her code 
must find its basis in the Bible text. Is this evidence of love or 
hate \ See all through the ages how she has defended the text 
against the base passions of men who would mutilate it or change 
its meaning to suit their lives. 

It was her St. Jerome who, at the command of Pope Damasus, 
undertook to translate the Bible into the Latin, and gave us what 
is known as the Vulgate. The Catholic Church has always s 
against the abuse of the Bible, and she has demanded that with her 
seal the book be stamped with her authority, the same seal without 
which so great a genius as St. Augustine said he would have re- 



UEALJyir OF THE NOBLEMAN'S SON, 



129 



jeered the four gospels. It was her spirit that made so many saints 
read it with uncovered head and oil bended knees, so deep was their 
veneration for the word of God. Father Faber expresses the 
thought of the Church beautifully when he says : "The holy 
lies like a bunch of myrrh in the bosom of the Church, a pow 
sanctiticatiou, like to which in kind and degree there is no other 
except the sacraments of the precious blood.'' Too many , 
are willing to give the Bible to non-Catholics as if it belonged to 
them. Remember if it were not for the Catholic Church, which 
is the true Church of Christ, there would be no Bible in the 
world. She received it from the apostles, she preserved it for 
mankind, she rinds in it one of the remote rules of faith and 
morals, and she loves the Bible because she loves Jesus Christ. 
Oar Saviour. 



Healing of the Nobleman's Son. 




Read carefully and study verses 46-54 of the Fourth Chapter 

John's gospel 



130 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



LESSON CXXIII. 

Text.— "And there - certain ruler whose sou was sick at 

Capharuanm. He having beard that Jesus was come from Jndea 

ut to Him, and prayed Hiui o> come down and 

heal his sou: for he was at the point of death." (John iv. 
46, 47. 
Reflection.— Confidence in God. 

370. Who was the ruler spoken of in this narrative, 
and what was his character ? 

He was one of the military or civil officers of Herod 
Antipas, who was commonly called king. By some he is 
_':it to be Manahew, the son of Herod's nurse, and 
by others Chusa, Herod's intendant, whose wife afterwards 
gratefully ministered to Christ, lie was a man of auth 
and bore an excellent character. 

371. How did he hear of Christ, and why did he 
come to Him to cure his son ? 

The name and fame of Christ as a prophet and more 
than a prophet had so spread among the people, even among 
those at the royal court, that the ruler was led to trust in 
wer to restore his son to health, for he knew 
of tlie miracles already performed. He was in despair of all 
other means and resolved to ask Him to cure his child. 

3 72. How did Jesus receive him. and what did 
He do ? 

He received him with kindness and pity, for lie re- 
alized the great faith which he | - 3S I. He determined 
to teach a lesson as well as to perform a miracle, ami hence 
He dwelt upon the idea that He was not merely a miracle- 
worker, but the Redeemer. 



HEALING OF THE NOBLEMAN'S SON 131 



LESSON CXXIV. 

Text. — "Jesus therefore said to him: Unless you see signs and 
wonders you believe not. The ruler saith to him: Lord, come 
down before that my son die. Jesus saith to him: Go thy way, 
thy son liveth. The man believed the word which Jesus said to 
him, and went his way." (John iv. 48-50.) 

^Reflection. — Perseverance in prayer. 

373. Why did Christ utter this reproach, and what 
bearing did it have on the miracle ? 

To show that it was not necessary for Him to go to 
Capharnaum, as His will alone would have been sufficient 
Christ did not reproach the ruler for asking that a miracle 
be performed, but He wished him to understand that, as 
He was God, His power was divine and could be exercised 
even at a distance. But we may easily believe that the crowd 
which gathered wished for a visible proof of the miracle. 

374. What effect had Christ's words on the ruler? 

As soon as He spoke the words " thy son liveth "" the ruler 
believed in His word and hence had faith in Him, for he 
was convinced that Christ was God, and that His word was 
enough to bring back to health the boy that was sick. 

375. What was the character of his faith, and should 
we strive to possess it ? 

It had the characteristic of true faith, for he believed 
without seeing. He seemed possessed of the idea that 
Christ was God, and, since God had spoken, that was 
enough. There was no longer any doubt, and he went 
away satisfied that his son lived. Notice the ruler first be- 
lieved in Christ's word and then believed in Christ Him- 
self. If we would have faith pleasing to God we should 
believe as the ruler did. Faith knows neither doubt nor 
hesitation; it is absolute. 



132 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



LESSON CXXV. 

Text. — "And as lie was going down, his servants met him: 
and they brought word, saying, that his son lived. He asked 
therefore of them the hour, wherein he grew better. And they 
said to him: Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." 
(John iv. 51, 52.) 

Keflection.— God's goodness to the ruler. 

376. Where did this miracle take place, and how 
far was it from Capharnaum ? 

The word of Jesus was said at Cana, in Galilee, where 
the miracle of the wedding-feast had taken place. It was 
about twenty-eight miles from Capharnaum, where the 
ruler dwelt. As it took nearly a day to make the journey, 
it is probable that the ruler did not reach home until late 
that evening or early next morning, lie was confident of 
finding his son entirely cured, as a result of his faith in 
Christ and Christ's word to him. 

377. What is meant by "the seventh hour," and 
how does it correspond with our time ? 

As St. Johu computed time, it was the seventh hour 
from sunrise, which occurred about six o'clock in the 
morning. It would correspond, in our computation, to 
one o'clock in the afternoon. 

378. What was the Jewish method for computing 
time ? 

The Jews had the custom of computing time by begin- 
ning the legal day of twenty-four hours at sunset, and 
thus their day was from evening to evening. After the 
captivity, while they still held to this method, they also 
followed the Chaldeans, who computed from sunrise to 
sunrise as a legal day. St. John followed the latter. 



HEALING OF THE NOBLEMAN'S SON. 133 



LESSON CXXVI. 

Text. — "The father therefore knew that it was at the same 
hour, that Jesus said to him: Thy son liveth: and himself be- 
lieved and his whole house. This is again the second miracle 
that Jesus did, when He was come out of Judea into Galilee." 
(John iv. 53, 54.) 

Reflection.— Gratitude for God's favors. 

379. What effect had this miracle upon the ruler 
and his family ? 

It confirmed him in his belief that his faith in Christ was 
well founded, and that He was indeed the Messias, and he 
and his family believed and became followers of Christ. 

380. Why does St. John use the word " second," as 
Christ had performed many miracles ? 

It may be to recall the fact of the first miracle at Cana 
at the wedding-feast, and to urge this one as equally im- 
portant. It was the second in Cana, and not second in the 
order of miracles. 

381. Whither did Jesus go after this miracle, and 
why ? 

It is probable that Jesus did not stay long in Cana. He 
then went to Nazareth, where the fame of His miracles had 
preceded Him. He entered the synagogue where he had 
worshipped as a boy, and there He taught that the Scrip- 
tures were fulfilled in Him. The Jews were indignant at 
His words, and expelled Him from the synagogue and 
threatened to throAv Him from the summit of a neighbor- 
ing hill. But He passed through them and went His way. 
He then went to Capharnanm, where He was destined to 
exercise much of His public ministry, to call the apostles, 
and to organize His work. 



134 



THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



Jesus at Nazareth. 

Read rare/ally and study verses 14-30 of the Fourth Chapter 
of St. Lukes gospel. 




LESSON CXXVIL 

Text.— "And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into 
Galilee, and the fame of Him went out through the whole country. 
And He taught in their synagogues, and was magnified by all. 
And He came to Nazareth where He was brought up: and He 
went into the synagogue according to His custom on the Sabbath- 
day, and Be rose up to read." (Luke iv. 14-16.) 

Reflection.— Fidelity to religion. 

382. Why did Christ enter the synagogues, and es- 
pecially that of Nazareth? 

That He might verify the prophecies and teach the true 
religion, for they were the meeting-places of the Jews for 



JESUS AT NAZARETH 135 

religious services. As a boy lie went to the one in Naza- 
reth, and hence was familiar with it as the place where He 
worshipped. 

383. Why is it said of Him that He stood up? 

It was customary to stand up while reading the Scriptures 
and to sit down while explaining them. His distinction, 
no doubt, led them that day to invite Him to conduct the 
services. 

384. What did the services, as such, consist of? 

They consisted of a certain liturgical form of prayers to 
which the people responded. Psalms were sung, the law 
and the prophecies were read, an address followed, after 
which the services closed by a prayer. These exercises did 
not demand a priest, and any prominent man w r as allowed 
to conduct them. 



LESSON CXXVTII. 

Text. — "And the book of I*aias the prophet was delivered 
unto Him. And as He unfolded 1 ho book. He found the place 
where it w.ns written : The Spirit of the Lord is upon me: where- 
fore He hath anointed we, to preach the Gospel to the %)Oor He 
hath sent me, to heal the contrite of 'heart ." (Luke iv. 17, 18.) 

Reflection. — Mission of Christ. 

385. What was the book which was delivered to 
Christ in the synagogue ? 

It was in the form of a parchment roll, containing the 
prophecies of Isaias, and was taken from the sacred box, 
placed behind the pulpit, where the sacred hooks were kept. 

38 6. What is meant by "He found the place"? 
It means the passage in Isaias which He wished to use 
as a text for His sermon that He might show the fulfilment 
of the prophecy. 



±36 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

387. To Whom did the prophet refer in this quotation 
from Isaias lxi. 1, 2 ? 

It was to Christ, who was filled with the Spirit of God, 
who influenced and guided Him, who was in very deed the 
Word of God. 



LESSON CXXIX. 

Text. — " And when He had folded the book, He restored it to 
the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all in the syna- 
gogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them : This 
day is fulfilled this scripture in your ears. . . . And they wondered 
at the words of grace that proceeded from His mouth, and they 
said : Is not this the son of Joseph ?" (Luke iv. 20-22.) 

Reflection.— Christ the fulfilment of God's promise. 

388. Who was the snbject of this first great discourse 
of Christ ? 

He Himself was the subject. To make Himself known 
was the object of His life, and hence from the very be- 
ginning of His public ministry He forced Himself upon His 
hearers that all -might know the object of His mission and 
the authority which lie possessed. 

389. What was the keynote of Christ's first dis- 
course ? 

Love for the poor, to whom He was sent as an anointed 
one to evangelize them; love for those in sorrow that He 
might heal their wounds; love to the blind that they 

ight by Him be made to sec. 



m 



390. What was meant by the acceptable year ? 

It meant the time when God was to visit His people with 
His choicest blessings. That year was also jubilee year, 
which was always regarded as a, type of the time of the 
Mcssias. Hence it was a, lilting time to proclaim Himself 
the Saviour. 



JESUS AT NAZABETIL 137 



LESSON CXXX. 



Text. — "And all they in the synagogue, hearing these things, 
were filled with anger. And they rose up and thrust Him out of 
the city : and they brought Him to the brow of the hill, whereon 
their city was built, that they might cast Him down headlong. 
But He passing through the midst of them, went His way." 
(Luke iv. 28-30.) 

Reflection. — Ingratitude of men. 

391. How was it that they did not see the fulfilment 
of prophecy in Christ ? 

They saw the man only in Him whom they knew as a 
boy in Nazareth, watched over by Joseph, the carpenter; 
and they could not realize that out of such common sur- 
roundings could come that great king whom they looked 
•for in the Messias. 

392. Why were they so suddenly incensed against 
Him ? 

Because they foolishly thought that He considered them 
as no better than Gentiles and lepers, and, being Kazarenes 
like Himself, they could not bear to have Him thus speak 
to them. Their pride was wounded and their ambition 
thwarted. 

393. In their anger what did they do ? 

They interrupted the service and thrust Jesus out of the 
synagogue, and would have done Him violence were it not 
that He passed through them and went His way. 

394. Why did He select Capharnaum for His resi- 
dence ? 

He had previously visited it and experienced its kindness. 
It was also an important town on the Lake of Galilee, and 
thus became a great centre for missionary work in His 
Galilean ministry. 



138 



THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CUBIST* 



SECOND YEAR OF CUBIST'S MINISTRY, 
Christ's First Disciples. 

Read carefully and study verses 1-11 of the Fifth Chapter of 
/St. Luke's gospel; also verses 18-22 of the Fourth Chapter of St. 
Matthew's gospel. 




LESSON CXXXI. 

Text. — " And it came to pass, that when I ho multitudes pressed 
upon Him to hear the word of God, He stood by the Lake of 
GenesMeth. And saw two ships standing by ihe lake: bni the 
fishermen were gone out of them and were washing their nets." 
(Luke v. 1, 2.) 

Reflection. — Nearness of Hie kingdom of God. 



CUEIST'S FIRST DISCIPLES. 139 

395. Why was this lake called the Lake of 
Genesareth ? 

Because of the land by that name, on its western side, 
which in the time of Christ was densely populated. It 
was also called the Lake of Galilee. It was sometimes 
called Tiberias because of the city of that name on its bor- 
ders, and by this name it is known at the present time. 

396. Where is this lake located, and what are its 
dimensions ? 

It is in Galilee, whence, according to some of the Evan- 
gelists, it took its name. It is formed by the river Jordan, 
and is thirteen miles long and six miles broad, located 
among the mountains, and was said to be one of the seven 
seas of Chanaan, which God reserved for Himself. 

397. Why was it selected as the scene of so much of 
Christ's labors? 

Because it was the most thickly populated and prosper- 
ous section of Palestine, and the people had already mani- 
fested great interest in Ilim and in His teachings. 



LESSON CXXXII. 

Text. — "And going up into one of the ships that was Simon's, 
He desired him to draw back a little from the land. And sitting- 
He taught the multitudes out of the ship. Now when He had 
caased to speak, He said to Simon: Launch out into the deep, and 
let down your nets for a draught." (Luke v. 3, 4.) 

Eeflection. — Christ's choice of Peter. 

398. Who were the fishermen with whom Christ 
came in contact in this incident ? 

Simon, afterwards called Peter, Andrew, James, and 
John, whom He had known for some time previously, and 
who had shown a willingness to be His disciples. 



140 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CUEIST. 

399. Had the fact of entering Simon's bark any 
special significance ? 

It would seem so, and it is generally accepted that "by this 
act Christ manifested His confidence in Simon Peter and 
His intention to make him the head of His apostles and of 
His Church. 

400. Why did He cause them to draw back from the 
land? 

That He might the better address the crowd who gath- 
ered on the bank, many of whom found seats upon the 
basaltic columns, that were piled upon the shore. He sat 
down, that He might maintain the usual posture of the 
teacher. 



LESSON exxxin. 

Text. — "And Simon answering, said to Him: Master, we have 
labored all the night, and have taken nothing: but at Thy word 
I will let down the net. And when they had done this, they 
enclosed a very great multitude of fishes, and their net broke." 
(Luke v. 5, 6.) 

Reflection. — Reward of obedience. 

401. Why did the apostle speak of the night as a 
time of labor ? 

Because the night was regarded as the best time for a 
certain class of fish, and hence they were not encouraged 
to hope for much in the fulness of the daytime. 

402. Was the apostle's act one of doubt or discour- 
agement ? 

It was neither. It was full of faith, as he expressed it 
when he said "at Thy word." lie knew Christ, and had seen 
Him perform miracles at Cana, and might easily have 
expected a miracle, if need be, to illustrate the power of 
the Messias. 



CUBIST'S FIRST DISCIPLES. 141 



LESSON CXXXIV. 

Text. — " Which when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus's 
knees, saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 
For he was wholly astonished, and all that were with him, at the 
draught of the fishes which they had taken." (Luke v. 8, 9.) 

Reflection. — Man's un worthiness. 

403. How did Simon Peter regard this draught of 
fishes which nearly caused the sinking of the boats ? 

He regarded it as another manifestation of God's power 
and goodness, through the miracle performed by Christ. 
He was a careful fisherman, and conld estimate the ordinary 
results of the men's work. 

404. Why does Christ call Simon by a fuller name 
than before ? 

Because this moment marks an event in the apostle's 
life. Hereafter he is to be known as Peter, rather than 
Simon, for Christ has a great mission awaiting this earnest, 
faithful, simple fisherman. It is to be the head of His 
Church and His first vicar on earth. 

405. Why did Simon Peter call on Christ to depart 
from him ? 

He simply asserted his unworthiness to be near such 
divine power. It was an expression of humility, when he 
realized his diffidence in casting out his nets and his 
general idea of the great distance between the Creator and 
creatures. 

LESSON CXXXV. 

Text. — " And so were also James and John the sons of Zebe- 
dee, who were Simon's partners. And Jesus saith to Simon: 
Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And having 
brought their ships to land, leaving all things they followed 
Him." (Luke v. 10, 11.) 

Reflection. — The apostolic spirit. 



142 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

406. What did Christ mean by the words "thou 
shalt catch men"? 

He meant that henceforth they would be fishers of men, 
catching them in the nets of the Gospel. Christ draws 
men to Him by the things with which they are familiar. 
He gave a star to lead the Magi, and a fish to draw the 
fishermen. 

407. What are we to understand by the words " leav- 
ing all things" ? 

We are to understand that these fishermen recognized in 
this incident a call from God to abandon all worldly pur- 
suits and business and become the followers of Jesus 
Christ. They left their nets and boats, and ever after- 
wards went with Christ. 

408. What was the result of this act of the 
fishermen ? 

It resulted in their being called to be apostles, who were 
to be taught by Christ Himself what to believe and what 
to teach aud do. It shows to us all what we should be 
willing to sacrifice for Christ and the Gospel. 



BIBLE TALKS. 

The Catholic Church Preserved the Bible. 

So much has been said of late years by the enemies of the 
Catholic Church concerning the Bible that one might be falsely 
led to suspect that the Bible was not fully known until the Refor- 
mation, something over three centuries ago. They would have 
you believe that the Bible was really lost and never would have 
been brought into use again, if they had not discovered its hid- 
ing-place and brought it into the daylight where all might see and 
read it. How false all such charges are against the one Church 
which has preserved the Bible for all the ages ! We saw, in our 
last Talk, how the Church loved it during the fifteen hundred years 
that passed from the days of the apostles until the Reformers 



THE CALL OF TILE APOSTLES. l±3 

abandoned the Church and set up a religion of their own, which 
they attempted to build upon a private interpretation of the Bible. 
During all that time the Church constantly watched over the 
sacred text and preserved it, and had it carefully translated into a 
hundred different languages : and all this before the invention of 
printing. Her martyrs gave up their lives in the persecution of 
Diocletian rather than yield one of the sacred books, and in the 
wars with the barbarians her monks fled to the mountains with 
the books, or hid them in safe places, lest a single word be lost. 
The so-called Reformers received the Bible from the Catholic 
Church, built their religious forms upon it alone, and then said she 
had corrupted it and was corrupt herself. Christ had promised 
that His Church should never fail, and the Bible says so; and yet 
they would have us believe that she not only failed, but that she 
poisoned the fountains of truth in corrupting the Scriptures. 
Who alone can give you now a satisfactory and consistent account 
of the Bible from the beginning, from the first century to the 
sixteenth, and on down to the present time ? The Catholic Church 
and the Catholic Church only. By her authority she defined what 
constituted the Bible, explained its meaning, proving clearly from 
that that it was to her that Christ said : "Go teach all nations." 
This led St. Augustine to exclaim: "I would not believe the 
Gospel if the authority of the Church did not move me to do 
so." Men rebelled against her at different times, used the Bible 
against her, but to them all she quoted the very words of Our 
Saviour : " Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have 
eternal life, and they are they that testify of Me." 

See what her great saints said of the Bible. St. Clement of 
Rome in the first century : "They are the oracles of the Holy 
Ghost and can contain nothing unjust or false." St. Irenseus : 
"Perfect, because the word of God and His Spirit speaks in 
them." St. Athanasius : " All over, the Scriptures, whether new 
or old, have proceeded from divine inspiration." St. Augustine 
styles the Scriptures "the epistle of the Almighty to His creat- 
ures." St. Gregory the Great, who was one of the Popes, 
speaking of the Book of Job, says : " Who wrote these things is a 
very superfluous question, since it is faithfully believed that the 
Holy Ghost is the author of the book. He, therefore, wrote these 
things who dictated them to the writer. He wrote them who was 
the inspiration of the work, and who by the voice of the writer 



144 



THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST 



has written them for us." Pope Eugenius IV. said to the Council 
of Florence that the Bible should be received : "Since by the in- 
spiration of the same spirit the holy men of both Testaments nave 
spoken, whose books, contained under the following titles, the 
Church receives and venerates." This great Council had no dis- 
cussion upon the canon of Scripture, showing that the Latin and 
Greek churches were one in belief about it. 

This shows that the scholars, saints, and Councils of the Catholic 
Church venerated the Scriptures and expressed the thought of 
the Church. Why should she not venerate the Scriptures, since 
they were given in her charge, and by her children they were 
preserved and kept intact ? Her saints were nourished by them 
and her altars have a place of honor for them. 



The Call of St. Matthew. 







Read carefully and study verses 9-15 of the Ninth Chapter of 
St. Matthew's gospel. 



HIE CALL OF ST. MATTHEW. 145 



LESSON CXXXVI. 

Text. — " And when Jesus passed on from thence, He saw a 
man sitting in the custom-house, named Matthew ; and lie saith 
to him: Follow Me. And he arose up, and followed Him." 
(Matt. ix. 9.) 

Reflection.— Obedience to the call of God. 

409. What was the name by which Matthew was 
known ? 

He was known as Levi, and as such he is named in the 
gospels of St. Mark and St. Luke. He was the son of 
Alpheus, and was named Matthew by Christ, which signi- 
fies "gift of God," in order probably to blot out all recol- 
lection of his former life. In his own gospel he is called 
Matthew, and no reference is made to bis former name. 

410. What was his occupation, and how was it re- 
garded among the Jews ? 

He was a collector of government taxes for the Romans, 
and all such were detested because of their office and their 
odious practices. They were excommunicated as apostates 
and Gentiles, and classed among sinners. 

411. Where was the tax-booth of Matthew located? 
At Capharnaum, on the great Eoman highway which led 

from Damascus by the northern side of the Sea of Galilee, 
near the plain of Genesareth. Christ was obliged to pass 
by it whenever He went along that road. 



LESSON CXXXVII. 

Text. — " And it came to pass as He was sitting at meat in the 
house, behold many publicans and sinners came, and sat down 
with Jesus and His disciples." (Matt. ix. 10.) 

Reflection. — Jesus, Saviour of all. 



146 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

412. Where were these tax-collectors stationed, and 
how did they perform their office ? 

The Romans had established tax-booths at the foot of 
the mountains, by the seaside, and on the great highways, 
near the entrance to bridges, and close to the mouths of 
the rivers, that all people passing might be obliged to pay 
the tax. This was exacted oftentimes with great severity 
and injustice, and thus the publicans enriched themselves 
by their exorbitance. 

413. How was it that Matthew accepted the invitation 
of Jesus so promptly ? 

It is probable that he became a believer in Him long 
before this, so that when Jesus called him to abandon his 
business and become His disciple he was prepared to do so, 
having experienced a change of heart by corresponding to 
divine grace so freely given. 

414. How was it that he invited Christ to a feast ? 

As Simon invited the Saviour to a feast after his call to 
the apostolate, so did Matthew, that thus the Master might 
become the guest of His disciples, lie also desired his 
1'rieuds to meet the Saviour and listen to His teaching, in 
hopes that they might be converted from their ways. 

LESSON CXXXVIII. 

Text. — "And the Pharisees seeing it, said to His disciples: 
Why doth your Master eat with publicans and sinners? But 
Jesus hearing it, said: They that are in health need not a physi- 
cian, hut they that are ill." (Matt, ix. 11, 12.) 

Reflection. — All men called to salvation. 

415. Why did the Pharisees go to the disciples 
rather than to Christ with their complaint ? 

Probably because they were so overawed by His miracles 
that they did not wish to have an open rupture with Him, 
yet they wished to protest against His association with 



THE CALL OF ST. MATTHEW. 147 

publicans ami sinners, which their customs had led them 
to consider as forbidden. 

416. Why did Jesus give answer to their com- 
plaint ? 

To show the true idea of redemption and to strengthen 
His disciples, who might have been weakened in their 
confidence by such reference to Jewish prejudices and 
customs. 

417. What was meant by the words "They that 
are in health need not a physician " ? 

They were used to express a very plain truth — that 
Christ came to save sinners, who, because of sin which 
affects the soul, need the divine Physician to act as a 
healer. These words also suggest to the Pharisees the 
hollowness of their pretence that they were in spiritual 
health or free from sin. 



LESSON CXXXIX. 

Text. — "Then came to Him the disciples of John, saying: 
Why do we and the Pharisees fast often: but Thy disciples do 
not fast? And Jesus said to them: Can the children of the 
bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them ? 
But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken 
away from them: and then they shall fast." (Matt. ix. 14, 15.) 

Reflection. — Christ's prediction of His Passion. 

418. How often did the Pharisees fast, and why 
was this question raised ? 

There was the great fast of the day of atonement, pre- 
scribed by the law; but besides that they voluntarily fasted 
twice a week — on Mondays and Thursdays. Some think 
that Matthew's feast occurred on a Monday, one of the 
days of fasting, and consequently scandal arose. 



148 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

419. Who was the "bridegroom" to whom Jesus 
referred ? 

The bridegroom to whom lie referred was Christ Him- 
self, as John the Baptist had called Him by that name. 
He had come to lead home His bride, which was the 
synagogue. All the disciples of Jesus were, therefore,, 
friends of the bridegroom, and, according to Jewish custom, 
would be invited to the marriage- feast, and would be called 
friends of the bridechamber. 

420. To what did Jesus allude when He spoke of 
the bridegroom being taken away ? 

He alluded to the days of llis Passion, when gloom 
would come to the disciples, and sorrow and fasting would 
be called for. Then fasting would have a real meaning, 
for sorrow and fasting have a certain kinship and usually 
go together. Hence the Church has the Lenten fast, 
because of the Passion of Christ and as a preparation for 
the future joy of the Easter days. 



BIBLE TALKS. 
The Dead Sea. 

This sea is known in the Bible as the Salt Sea, or the Sea of the 
Plain, and also the Sea of Sodom. The Greeks and Latins called 
it the Dead Sea. It is the third and hist lake found in the course 
of the Jordan from the Lebanon Mountains to the Gulf of Akaba. 
It receives the waters of the Jordan. Smith in his Dictionary 
of the Bible says: " It is of an oblong form, of tolerably regular 
contour, interrupted only by a large and long peninsula which 
projects from the eastern shore, near its southern end, and virtu- 
ally divides the expanse of water into two portions, connected by 
a long, narrow, and somewhat devious passage." Its greatest 
width is 10$ miles, its length 4 miles; it is 1300 feet below the 
level of the Mediterranean Sea, and in some places it is 1300 feet 
deep. It is well to remember that the Dead Sea now covers the 
valley that Lot chose for his abode. 



THE CALL OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES. 



149 



The Call of the Twelve Apostles. 

Head carefully and study verses 12-16 of the Sixth Chapter 
of St. Luke's yos2^el. Read also verses 13-19 of the Tliird Chap- 
ter of St. Mark's gospel and verses 2-4 of the Tenth Chapter of 
St. Matthew's gospel. 




LESSON CXL. 

Text. — "And it came to pass in those days, that He went out 
into a mountain to pray, and He passed the whole night in the 
prayer of God." (Luke vi. 12.) 

Reflection. — Prayer as a preparation for important acts. 



421. When did this event take place ? 
In the middle of the second year of the ministry of 
Christ, some time in the midsummer of the year 28. 



150 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

422. What mountain is referred to in these "words 
of St. Luke ? 

It is commonly believed to have been the Mount of the 
Beatitudes, or, as it is known in Bible geography, the Horns 
of Hattin, so called from the village of Hattin, located near 
its base, on the western coast of the Sea of Galilee. 

423. Why did Jesus pass the night in prayer ? 
That He might teach us to prepare for grave events by 

earnest prayer. He did not need it, but He did it to give 
us an example. 



LESSON CXLT. 

Text. — "And going up into a mountain, Tie called unto Him 
whom He would Himself: and they came to Him. And He made 
that twelve should be with Him." (Mark iii. 13, 14.) 

Reflection. — Divine vocation. 

424. What is meant by the words "whom He 
would Himself " ? 

It means that the call of the twelve to the apostleship 
was gratuitous and came wholly from Jesus Christ. He 
alone chose them from among all the disciples and made 
them His apostles. 

425. Had He made any choice of any of them 
before this moment ? 

Yes, five at least, and perhaps seven, were spoken to 
about the apostolate some time before, as Ave may see by 
consulting Mark i. 16-20 and John i. 43, 45; but the 
choice recorded now was final and formal. 

426. What was the object of their apostolate as 
mentioned by St. Mark ? 

That they might be with Him as companions and help- 
ers, to be trained by Him in His truths, and to fulfil His 
mission for the establishment of 1 1 is Church. 



THE CALL OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES. 15l 



LESSON CXLII. 

Text. — u And that Tie might send them to preach. And He 
gave them power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils." 
(Mark iii. 14, 15.) 

Reflection. — Power of God given to men. 

427. What was the mission of the apostles ? 

To go forth and teach nations, preaching the Gospel of 
Christ and exercising His ministry among men. They 
were to take His place and build up a visible Church, 
which was to continue His work forever. 

428. Why were they called apostles ? 

Because Christ wished to impress upon them the impor- 
tance of the message Ho was afterwards to give them, 
when He would send them as messengers of His Gospel. 
They are now called to be apostles, but after the Resurrec- 
tion lie will constitute them apostles. 

429. What is the significance of the number 
twelve ? 

As there were twelve tribes of Israel whose names were 
written on the twelve gates of the New Jerusalem, so 
would the names of the twelve apostles be found on the 
twelve foundation-stones of His Church. 

LESSON CXLIII. 

Text. — "And to Simon He gave the name Peter: and James 
the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and He 
named them Boanerges, which is the Sons of Thunder: and 
Andrew and Philip, and Bartholomew and Matthew, and Thomas 
and James of Alphens, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Cananean, 
and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him." (Mark iii. 16-19.) 

Reflection. — The agency of men in religion. 

430. How many lists of the apostles have we, and 
what is noted about them ? 

There are four lists, which are found in St. Matthew, 



15-2 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

St. Mark, St. Luke, and the Acts of the Apostles. It is 
to be noted that Peter is named first in them all, thus 
indicating priority of rank. 

431. What is there of significance in the change of 
Simon's name to Peter ? 

It shows the intention of Christ to give him special 
powers or a special work, just as God did in the Old Testa- 
ment with Abraham and Sara. Peter means rock, which 
was to signify the founding of the Church upon him. 

432. What were the characteristics of the apostles ? 

They were plain, simple men, mostly fishermen, without 
much education or means, and free from much of the 
errors or evils of the day. They were all Galileans except 
Judas, who was from Karioth in Judea. 



The Sermon on the Mount. 

Read careful} ii wild study verses 1-4S of the Fifth Chapter of 
St. Matthew's gospel and verses 20-49 of the Sixth Chapter of 
St. Luke's gospel. 

LESSON CXLIV. 

Text. — " And Jesus seeing the multitudes, went up into a 
mountain, and when lie was sat down, His disciples came unto 
Him, and opening His month, He taught them, saying: Blessed 
are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for 
theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. v. 1, '2. 3, 10.) 

433. Why is this first great discourse of Christ 
called the Sermon on the Mount ? 

Because it was delivered on the mountain known as the 
Horns of Hattin, whither Christ had retired for prayer. 
The mountain was afterwards to be called the Mount of 



THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 153 

Beatitudes, because of the opeuiug sentences of Christ's 
great discourse. The hillsides were covered with people, 
and the apostles were close to Christ. 




434. Why are the opening sentences called Beati- 
tudes ? 

Because of the promise of blessedness which is made to 
those who practise the virtue of which Christ speaks. 
They are the conditions for entering the kingdom of 
heaven. 

435. What are the main divisions of this discourse ? 

(1) The conditions of membership in the kingdom of 
Christ; (2) the duties of Christ's subjects to the world in 
which they live; (3) the relations of this doctrine with 
the Old Law and the Pharisees; (4) rules for Christian 
life. 



154 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF VhRlST. 



LESSON OXLV. 

Text. — " You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt lose its 
savor, wherewith shall it be salted ? it is good for nothing any 
more but to be cast out and to be trodden on by men. You are 
the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be 
hid." (Matt. v. 18, 14.) 

Keflection. — The influence of a good Christian life. 

436. What is meant by this reference to salt ? 

It means that as salt preserves food fiom corruption and 
helps it to keep its taste, so virtue seasons and preserves life; 
for without virtue life is worthless. So the Christians, and 
especially the apostles, are called to be the very salt of the 
earth, and their lives should be examples of all goodness 
to the world. 

437. What are we to understand by the words "the 
light of the world " ? 

We may understand them to mean a good life, which, in 
the moral world, can be likened to the sun in the material 
world. Christ calls Himself the Light of the world in 
John viii. 12, and all are called to lie like Him. This is 
true of all Christians, but in a most special manner it is 
line of His apostles and ministers, who are called to be a 
light illumining the pathway of all men. 

438. Which is the city on the hill, which cannot be 
hid? 

Some think it refers to Jerusalem, while others think it 
refers to lofty Safed, which could be seen from the spot 
where Jesus stood. It may also be considered as an exam- 
ple of the prominence of a good Christian life which may 
lie seen by all. The Church of Christ is represented as the 
city on the mountain to be seen by men in all time. 



THE SERVO X ON THE MOUNT. 155 



LESSON CXLVI. 

Text. — "You have heard that it hath been said: Thou shalt 
love thy neighbor, and hate thy enemy. But I say to you : 
Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you : and pray for 
them that persecute and calumniate you: that you maybe the 
children of your Father who is in heaven.' 1 (Matt. v. 43, 44.) 

Reflection. — Law of love. 

439. Who had said that men should hate their 
enemies ? 

This had been said by the Pharisees, who desired to 
establish a greater separation between the Jews and the 
Gentiles, and was based on what Moses did to guard against 
private revenge. The Pharisees also wished to have their 
followers believe that " an eye for an eye and a tooth for a 
tooth " was good doctrine to follow. 

440. To whom does Christ refer, in a special manner, 
when He uses the word "enemies"? 

He referred to those whom the Jews regarded as their 
enemies. As the Jews understood the word, it meant all 
who were not of the chosen race of Israel, as well as 
those who did injury to them among themselves. The 
Samaritans were in a special manner subjected to the 
enmity of the Jews. To insist that these should be objects 
of love was to emphasize in the strongest manner possible 
the new law of Christian love. 

441. What do you understand by the allusion to the 
necessity of being children of the heavenly Father ? 

Christ wishes to have them understand that if they desire 
to be children of God they must have that love which He 
has for all men, and thus they must act like God Himself, 
who sheds the blessings of nature upon His enemies as well 
as upon His friends. Christ also was to die for all, even 
for those who put Him to death. 



156 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



LESSON CXLVII. 

Text. — "Thus therefore shall you pray: Our Father who art 
in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will 
be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our super- 
substantial bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive 
our debtors. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us 
from evil. Amen." (Matt. vi. 9-13.) 

Reflection. — Prayer taught by Christ. 

442. What is the first part of this prayer of Our 
Lord? 

The opening words, "Our Father who art in heaven," 
indicate the address to God to whom we pray, and who by 
His grace has adopted us as His children and hence is 
our Father. The word '"our" shows our relations to our 
brethren, while "heaven" marks our Father's home and 
our home. 

443. How many petitions are in the "Our Father," 
and to what do they refer? 

There are seven petitions in it, the first three of which 
refer to the glory of God, and the last four to our spiritual 
wants that we may obtain salvation. 

444. How may you explain that this constitutes a 
perfect prayer? 

God is addressed as a Father on whose love we depend 
that He may be ever honored, loved, and obeyed. Having 
proclaimed His glory, we petition for our needs, and pray 
for the grace to do our duty and keep from sin. 

BIBLE TALKS. 

The Bible and the People. 

Sometimes you will hear it said that ihe Catholic Church is not 
willing to allow the people to read the Bible. This is not the 



THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT 157 

worst thing they say, for they add that the Church has done this 
in order to keep the people in ignorance of the truth. How 
wicked such statements are may be seen from what we have 
already said about the Bible. Besides that, are you not studying 
the Bible now in your classes ? Are you not encouraged to study 
it more, with the promise of reward for faithful work? Has not 
our Holy Father, Leo XIII., written a letter lately in which any 
one who reads may see his intense desire to have Catholics study 
the Bible? Still we must remember that the Bible is not so 
absolutely necessary to our faith as it is to non-Catholics, for we 
regard the Bible as one of the two remote rules of faith in which 
we find the greater part of our doctrines; but our proximate 
rule of faith, that is our teacher, is the Church established by 
Christ to interpret the Bible and tradition. The man who has 
no religion except as he picks it out of the Bible, and no teacher 
except the Bible as he reads it, must necessarily need the Bible 
all the time. The Catholic Church received the care of the divine 
books, and was appointed the interpreter of them ; and this has 
made the Church extremely jealous not only of every book of the 
Bible, but of every word as well, in the original and also in the 
translations into different languages. In the Old Law the Bible 
or Old Testament was carefully kept within the golden ark and 
explained by the masters of the synagogues. 

When Christ came and built His Church, He transferred to her 
the care of the Scriptures not only of the Old Law, but of the New, 
and commissioned the priesthood of His Church to explain them 
to the people; and this has been done in every age and in every 
language under the sun. In the early ages books were scarce, 
and consequently very valuable, and a Bible was reputed worth 
its weight in gold. Every word in it had to be written by the 
patient scribes whose lives were spent in preserving all that was 
good in literature and religion. In the thirteenth century false 
teachers arose in France, who mutilated the sacred text and 
preached unholy doctrines, for which they falsely asserted the 
authority of the Bible. To protect the people from this poison of 
error, the Council of Toulouse, in 1229, forbade laymen to read 
the Bible except by the permission of the bishop. This law was 
local, and simply a measure of protection. Later, when St. 
Dominic destroyed the Albigensian heresy and converted the 
heretics, this prohibition ceased. 



158 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

Again, when the private-judgment theory of Protestantism, in 
the sixteenth century, struck a blow at the integrity of the Bible, 
and many books which had always been received as sacred were 
declared by the sectaries to be non-inspired, the Church, in the 
Council of Trent, passed a decree prohibiting any one to print the 
Bible without a special license, or any layman to read it without a 
special permit from the bishop. Again, this was a measure of 
protection by which the poor people might be guarded against the 
mutilated Or changed word of Scripture. In 1757, in the time of 
Pope Benedict XIV., the laws were modified, and versions of the 
Bible approved by the Holy See or from learned Catholics were 
permitted. Any layman could then read any authorized version. 



THIRD YEAR OF CHRIST S MINISTRY. 



Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. 

Read carefully and study verses 30-44 of the Sixth Chapter 
of St. Mirk ; arses 13-21 of the Fourteenth Chapter of St. 
Matthew, 10-17 of the Ninth Chapter of St. Luke, and 1-14 of 
the Sixth Chapter of St. John. 



LESSON CXLVI1I. 

TEXT.—" And .Jesus going out saw a great multitude: and He 
had compassion oil them, because they were as sheep not having 
a shepherd, and lie began to teach them many things. And 
when the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him, say- 
ing : This is a desert place, and the hour is now past." (Mark 
vi. 34, 35.) 

Reflection. — Kindness of the heart of Jesus. 

445. Where did this incident take place? 

Near Bethsaida, on the northwestern shore of the Sea of 
Galilee, in an uncultivated place called a desert, where the 
hills are close to the sea. It was called the Plain of 
Butaiha, and belonged to Bethsaida. 



M ULT1PL1CA TION OF TUhJ LOA VES A ND FISHES. 159 



446. How do you account for the large crowds 
which gathered about Jesus ? 

It was largely because the feast of Passover was near at 
hand, and the Jews, on their way to Jerusalem, went 
around the lake and by Perea, and hence many found 
themselves near where Jesus was preaching. Many fol- 




lowed Jesus constantly because of His wonderful preaching 
and miracles. 

447. What is meant by the reference to "sheep 
not having a shepherd " ? 

It means that the Scribes and Pharisees were blind to 
the truth, and not fit to guide the people of God. The 
only traditions which seemed to enter their life were all 
material ones, which kept them from realizing the presence 
of the Messias among them and the fulfilment of the 
prophecies in llim. 



160 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



LESSON CXLIX. 

Text. — ". . . He said to Philip: Whence shall we buy bread 
that these may eat ? And this He said to try liini : for He Himself 
knew what He would do. Philip answered Him: Two hundred 
pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one 
may take a little." (John vi. 5-7.) 

Reflection.— Test of faith. 

448. Why did Jesus ask Philip, since he was not 
the apostle who provided for their wants ? 

Some think it was because Philip was standing nearest to 
Him; while others remark that he was likely to have known 
most about the immediate conveniences for food, as he 
lived in that very neighborhood. To the apostles it must 
have seemed a very serious difficulty, and, as they did not 
fully realize the divine character of Christ, they hardly 
anticipated a miracle. 

449. What is meant by the words " this He said 
to try him " ? 

It is thought that Jesus wished to test his faith, and to 
sej what impression His words and miracles had made upon 
him. lie wished to find the estimate which they had of 
His power, and thus see the influence of His work upon 
those who were His chosen followers and whose minds were 
not yet fully developed as to His character. 

450. What is the value of the pennyworth men- 
tioned by Philip ? 

A penny was a silver coin worth from fifteen to seven- 
teen cents. It was what day-laborers received as wages. 
The denarius of Tiberias was the penny of the New Testa- 
ment. In weight it was less than a shilling, but its pur- 
chasing power was greater. Two hundred pennies were 
equal to about thirty-three dollars. 



MULTIPLICATION OF THE LOAVES AND FISHES. 161 



LESSON CL. 

Text. — "One of His disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon 
Peter, saith to Him: There is a boy here that hath five barley 
loaves, and two fishes: but what are these among so many? 
Then Jesus said: Make the men sit down. Now there was much 
grass in the place. The men therefore sat down, in number 
about five thousand." (John vi. 8-10.) 

Reflection.— The foresight of kindness. 

451. What was the peculiar value of the barley- 
loaves ? 

They were of much less value than wheat and were the 

ordinary coarse food of the lower orders. They probably 

belonged to the boy who was- selling them. This would 

indicate a greater inability to feed the multitude with 

them and would enhance the miracle. They were thin 

cakes, baked on the side of the oven, like our large crackers. 

452. What were the fishes to which Andrew 
referred ? 

They were small dried fish, ordinarily eaten with bread. 
A fish is found in all the symbolism of the catacombs. It 
represented Christ. It is found either carrying a basket of 
bread or lying on an altar beside bread; and thus is indi- 
cated faith in the Eucharist, which was prefigured by the 
multiplication of the loaves and fishes in the desert. 

453. Were there none but men present at this 
miracle ? 

The Gospel mentions five thousand men, which is 
independent of the women and children, who were prob- 
ably sitting by themselves. They sat in fifties and hun- 
dreds, as St. Mark relates, and hence could be easily 
counted. 



102 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



LESSON CLI. 

Text. — "And Jesus took the loaves: and when He had given 
thanks, He distributed to them that were sat down: in like man- 
ner also o£ the fishes as much as they would. And when they 
were filled, He said to His disciples: Gather up the fragments 
that remain, lest they be lost. They gathered up therefore, and 
filled twelve baskets." (John vi. 11-13.) 

Reflection. — Thanksgiving for food. 

454. What was the effect which they witnessed 
from Christ's words ? 

After Christ's words the crowd saw that there was food 
enough to supply the wants of all and a surplus enough to 
fill twelve baskets. This happened in a single act, in which 
Jesus blessed the loaves and fishes and distributed them to 
the multitude, all of whom saw the miracle which He 
performed and which was an evidence of the divine power 
which He claimed to possess. 

455. To what was this miracle to lead ? 

To the promise of the Eucharist, which Christ was after- 
wards to institute as a sacrament, at the Last Supper. 
Immediately after this miracle, Christ discoursed upon the 
bread which He would give them, which was His flesh, for 
the life of the world. ]>y those words He promised to 
give His flesh and blood in a new sacrament which He was 
to establish. 

456. Where is this miracle renewed ? 

The miracle is renewed, every day, in the Holy Sacra- 
ment of the Altar, by which bread and wine are changed 
into the body and blood of Christ, and by which also in 
holy communion, under the appearance of bread, Jesus 
Christ is received daily by millions of His faithful people. 
We never can be sufficiently grateful to our good Saviour 
for His love for us, as manifested in the Eucharist. 



CHRIST PROMISES THE EUCHARIST. 163 



Christ Promises the Eucharist. 

Read carefully and study verses 22-72 of the Sixth Chapter 
of /St. John's gospel. 




LESSON CLII. 

Text.— "Jesus answered, and said to them : This is the work 
of God, that you believe in Him whom He hath sent. They said 
therefore to Him : What sign therefore dost Thou shew that we 
may see, and may believe Thee ? what dost Thou work ? Our 
fathers did eat manna in the desert as it is written: He gave 
them bread from heaven to eat." (John vi. 29-31.) 

^Reflection.— Belief in Jesus Christ as one sent. 

457. When did this discourse take place and where ? 

It took place on the Sabbath, the day after the miracle 

of the loaves and fishes, at Capharnaum, where the multi- 



164 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

tucie found Jesus. After the miracle Jesus had retired to 
the mountain retreat to spend the night in prayer, and 
then He crossed the sea to still the tempest which 
threatened the apostles. 

458. What is the first indication of the promise of the 
eucharistie bread? 

It is when Jesus tells the multitude not to work for the 
bread which perishes, such as they had eaten the day before, 
but for the bread which lasts forever, which the Son of man 
is to give them. 

459. How does Jesus answer their demand for a sign 
as great as the manna? 

He shows that the manna did not come from Moses but 
from God and did not give immortality, whereas the bread 
He would now promise was Himself, who was to give life to 
the world, and who was to come from the bosom of the 
Father, and not fall from the skies, as the manna did. 

460. How did the Jews receive this statement that 
Christ was the bread of life ? 

They murmured, at least some among them did, recalling 
the fact that they knew Him to be the son of Joseph, whose 
father and mother they knew, and they could not see how 
He could be the bread from heaven. 

LESSON CLIII. 

Text. — " I am the bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna 
in the desert, and are dead. I am the living bread, which came 
down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live 
forever : and the bread that I will give, is My flesh for the life of 
the world." (John vi. 48, 49, 51, 52.) 
Reflection.— The bread of life. 

461. What does Christ mean by these words of the 
Gospel? 

He identifies Himself with the bread which He promises 



CHRIST PROMISES THE EUCHARIST. 165 

to give, and which is to maintain life. The manna did not 
preserve from death; but the manna was symbolical of 
Christ, who is the true bread. 

462. What do you also notice in this passage? 

Christ passes from the metaphorical bread to the reai, 
and from the metaphorical eating to the real. Interpreters 
consider that with the words (i I am the bread of life" 
Christ begins to speak of the Eucharist. 

463. What do the words "My flesh" indicate? 

They indicate the whole human nature of Christ, which 
is to be given as food and as sacrifice, and hence both 
sacrament and sacrifice are here foretold. 



LESSON CLIV. 

Text. — "The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying : 
How can this man give us His flesh to eat? Then Jesus said to 
them: Amen, amen I say unto you : Except you eat the flesh of 
the Son of man, and drink His blood, you shall not have life in 
you. : ' (John vi. 53, 54.) 

Reflection. — The Real Presence. 

464. How might the Jews have understood the 
words of Christ ? 

They might have understood them to refer to faith, as an 
action of the mind, or to an adoption of Christ's ideas, or 
His salvation, or they could take them as meaning a real 
eating of flesh, just as the words sounded. 

465. Eow did they really understand them? 

It is very evident from their murmuring that they 
understood Him to promise a real flesh to eat, otherwise 
there would have been no occasion for scandal, as the mere 
matter of faith would present no difficulty to their minds. 



166 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

466. Did Christ recall them from this understanding 
or correct them? 

He rather confirmed them in their view by asserting with 
an oatli that unless they ate His flesh they would not have 
life in them. It would have been His duty in kindness to 
have removed false impressions, and since He did not it is 
evident that their appreciation of His meaning was correct. 



LESSON CLV. 

Text. — "Many therefore of His disciples hearing it, said : This 
saying is hard, and who can hear it? But Jesus knowing in 
Himself that His disciples murmured at this, said to them: Doth 
this scandalize you ? If then you shall see the Son of man ascend 
up where He was before?" (John vi. 61-63.) 

Reflection. — The mystery of divine love. 

467. Can it be said that Christ meant all this in a 
metaphorical sense and referred to faith? 

Certainly not, for in a metaphorical sense the phrase 
"eating of My flesh" meant reproach and insult, and this 
could not be intended, as Christ offers life eternal as a 
reward for the act. It could not mean faith, for they had 
faith already and Christ promised this bread as a new gift. 
The Jews, therefore, understood it correctly. 

468. Why did He refer to His Ascension ? 

First, in order to correct the gross idea which they had 
that they were to eat His flesh as it then appeared before 
them. He wished to lead them to the idea that they were 
to eat His flesh under the appearance of bread. Secondly, 
He appealed to the power which would be manifested when 
they would see Him ascend into heaven. 

469. How does this beautiful discourse close? 

By the great act of faith made by Simon Peter when, 
after the disciples were asked if they would go away with 



PARABLE* OF CHRIST 



167 



those who were murmuring, he answered that Christ had 
the words of eternal life, and therefore if lie promised His 
flesh to eat He was God and could fulfil His promise. In 
the Eucharist we have that fulfilment. 

Parables of Christ. 







^&>~:-i 



Read carefully and study verses 4r-15 of the Eighth Chapter 
of St. Luke's gospel, the Thirteenth Chapter of St. Matthew, and 
the Tenth to the Sixteenth Chapters of St. Luke. 



LESSON CLVI. 

Text.— "And His disciples asked Him what this parable might 
be. To whom He said: To you it is given to know the mystery 
of the kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables: that seeing 
they may not see, and hearing may not understand." (Luke 
viii. 9, 10.) 

Reflection. — Unwillingness of people to accept the truth. 



168 THE PUBLIC LIFE* OF CHRIST. 

470. What is meant by a parable as found in the 
teachings of Christ ? 

A parable is an allegory under which something real in 
life or nature is made to point out a moral lesson. The 
word parable means to ])Iace side by side, because by the 
side of a truth is placed the image which represents it, and 
thus instruction is given. 

471. Why were parables used in the instructions 
given by Christ ? 

(1) A new way of presenting the truth was needed to 
excite attention; (2) the people were not prepared to 
have the truth plainly taught; (3) it was a way by which 
to reach even those who did not wish to know the truth; 
(4) it prevented misunderstanding among the enemies of 
Christ who did not clearly see the full meaning. 

472. Was this a common way of teaching among 
the Jews ? 

It was very common among the Jews of Palestine; but 
there was this difference, that while the Jews used parables 
to illustrate what had been said or taught, Christ used 
them as the foundation for His teaching. 



LESSON CLVII. 

Text.— "The sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed 
some fell by the wayside, and it was trodden down, and the 
fowls of the air devoured it. And other some fell upon £<>o<l 
ground: and beingsprung up, yielded fruit a hundred -fold. Now 
the parable is this: The seed is the word of God." (Luke viii. 
5,8,11.) 

Reflection.— The word of God. 

473. What is the first series of parables we find in 
tho life of Christ ? 

The first series of parables was given at a time when the 

Pharisees asserted that the words of Christ were inspired 



PARABLES OF CHRIST. 169 

by the devil. These parables explained the work of God 
in the soul of man, as expressed by the practice of 
virtue. 

474. Which were the principal parables of this 
epoch ? 

The Sower, the Cockle, the Mustard-seed, and the Leaven, 
all of which are told in Matt. xiii. Also the parable of 
the seed, told by St. Mark in fourth chapter, verses 26-29. 
They all relate to the kingdom of God. 

475. How do we notice the development of the idea 
of the kingdom ? 

In the parable of the Sower the kingdom of God, as the 
seed, appears in man's soul and not in outward pomp and 
display. In the second the action of evil is seen in the 
sowing of tares by the devil. In the last two the develop- 
ment of the kingdom from weak beginnings to great 
strength is clearly shown. Like the leaven the idea of the 
kingdom should pervade all life. 



LESSON CLVIIL 

Text. — " And He spoke a parable also to them that were 
invited, marking how they chose the first seats at the table, say- 
ing to them : When thou art invited to a wedding, sit not down 
in the first place, lest perhaps one more honorable than thou be 
invited by him, and he that invited thee and him, come and say 
to thee: Give this man place." (Luke xiv. 7-9.) 

Reflection. — The virtue of humility. 

476. Which parables formed the second series in the 
public teaching of Christ ? 

They are thirteen in number, and included such par- 
ables as the Great Supper, the Good Samaritan, the Fool- 
ish Rich Man, the Lost Sheep, the Lost Son, and others 



170 



THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



recorded by St. Luke from the tenth to the sixteenth 
chapter. 

477. What was the character of these parables ? 

They were in the nature of exhortations, and tended to 
show the great value of the kingdom of heaven, for which 
men should strive. They answered the blasphemy that 
Christ was working through Satan. 



---■ <'-.''■ "'<'■;- " ■' -.■■■■■ ' 






^ m 



.#<■ 










478. How does the value of the kingdom of heaven 
appear ? 

By the wise merchantman who, seeking for pearls, finds 
one of surpassing value, and sells all else in order to buy it. 
And so with the treasure hid in the field: the finder, 
knowing its value, parts with all his possessions, so as to 
l)ii v the field and thus obtain the treasure. So with heaven 
to those who know its value. 



PARABLES OF CHRIST. 171 



LESSON CLTX. 



Text. — "Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened to a 
king, who would take an account of his servants. And when he 
had begun to take the account, one was brought to him, that 
owed him ten thousand talents. And the lord of that servant 
being moved with pity, let him go and forgave him the debt." 
(Matt, xviii. 23, 24, 27.) 

Reflection. — Forgiveness of injuries. 

479. What was the third series of parables ? 

The third series embraced those parables which Christ 
spoke at that moment in His life when He w r as persecuted 
and betrayed. They represented God's goodness and man's 
opportunities, and presented the kingdom of God in the 
light of reward and loss for righteous and unrighteous 
life. 

480. How many are in this group, and -what are 
they? 

There are eight, and among them are found the parables of 
the Unjust Steward, the Unjust Judge, Dives and Lazarus, 
the Pharisee and Publican, the Wicked Servant, the Ten 
Virgins, and the Vineyard. 

481. What made the difference of opinion among 
the people "with reference to the parables ? 

It was not made by the substance or manner of these 
parables, but by the different standards by which the king- 
dom of God was judged. The Scribes and Pharisees had 
an entirely different standpoint from which to judge the 
teachings of Christ. 

BIBLE TALKS. 

The Bible and the People. {Continued.) 

After the decree of Pope Benedict XIV., in 1757, no special 
application for permission to read the Bible in the languages of 



172 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

the people was necessary. All that was necessary was to see that 
such Bibles had the sanction of the Church, in order that the 
mutilated and badly translated versions might not mislead the 
people. On the first page of nearly every Catholic Bible you will 
find the letter of Pope Pius VI. written in 1778 to the archbishop of 
Florence in Italy, who had made a translation in Italian. Among 
other things he says, "At a time when a vast number of bad 
books, which grossly attack the Catholic religion, are circulated 
even among the unlearned, to the great destruction of souls, you 
judge exceedingly well that the faithful should be excited to the 
reading of the Holy Scriptures, for these are the abundant sources 
which ought to be left open to every one to draw from them 
purity of morals and of doctrine, and to eradicate the errors 
which are so widely spread in these times. This you have 
seasonably effected by publishing the sacred writings in the 
language of your country, suitable to every one's capacity.'" 
Those words do not sound much like a prohibition against the 
reading of the Bible. Notice the Pope says, "Ought to be left 
open to every one to draw from them purity of morals and of 
doctrine." Instead of hindering the people from reading the 
Holy Scriptures the Church urges them to read them ; but she 
carefully guards them from the dangers of irresponsible trans- 
lators or mutilated translations, that they may surely know the 
complete inspired word. In 1820 Pope Pius VII. wrote to the 
bishops of England exhorting them to encourage their people to 
read the Bible. Notice what the Holy Father gives as a reason 
for his exhortation : "Nothing can be more useful, more con- 
solatory, and more animating ; because they serve to confirm 
the faith, to support the hope, and to inflame the charity of the 
true Christ ian." 

Our American bishops, in the last Plenary Council of Baltimore, 
leave no doubt as to their wishes in the matter of Bible reading. 
Jn their pastoral letter they say: "It can hardly be necessary 
for us to remind you, beloved brethren, that the most highly 
valued treasure of every family library and the most frequently 
and lovingly made use of should be the Holy Scriptures. We 
hope that no family can be found among you without a correct 
version of the Holy Scriptures." Every Catholic family has its 
Bible, and in many parishes and schools the study of the Bible 
is one of the regular courses. The New Testament studies are 



MIRACLES OF CHRIST. 



173 



on those lines, and you are urged and encouraged to follow them, 
in order to thus correspond with the last grand appeal of Pope Leo 
XIII. for more general study of the Scriptures. And yet there are 
some who say, and no doubt believe, that you dare not have nor 
read the Bible, because your Church will not permit you. A 
reason often given is that Catholics refuse to take the Protestant 
Bible. Why should they take what they do not believe to be the 
Bible, because it has been mutilated, whole books have been cut 
out of it, and the translations have been made under the influence 
of a religious belief which does not admit of many of the vital 
truths of Christianity ? This is not against the Bible, but against 
unauthorized translations of the Bible. Remember these facts 



Miracles of Christ. 




1. The Widow of Naim. 

Read carefully and study verses 11-18 of the Seventh 
Chapter of St. Luke's gospel. 



174 



LESSON CLX. 

Text. — " And it came to pass afterwards, that He went into a 
city that is called Nairn : and there went with Him His disciples 
and a great multitude. And when He came nigh to the gate of 
the city, behold a dead man was carried out, the only son of his 
mother, and she was a widow : and a great multitude of the city 
was with her." (Luke vii. 11, 12.) 

Keflection. — Compassion of Jesus. 

482. When did this event take place? 

It took place in the summer of the year 28, very soon 
after the sermon on the mount. Christ had healed the 
centurion's servant and returned to Capharnaum, after 
which lie went away, going through Galilee to Nairn, and 
there performing the miracle. 

483. Where was the city of Nairn, where this miracle 
took place ? 

It w r as in the province of Galilee, situated about 
twenty-live miles from Capharnaum and seven miles from 
Nazareth. It is now called Nein, and is a Avretched little 
village. 

484. How dicl it happen that a great multitude was 
present? 

Christ was then in the height of His popularity, and 
great crowds gathered to hear His wonderful preaching, 
following Him with great curiosity and earnestness. The 
opposition to Christ had not, as yet, fully developed its 
bitterness. There was a disposition to listen to Him, as 
no man had ever spoken as He did, and His miracles at- 
tested the mercy and goodness of His heart as well as His 
wonderful power. 



MIRACLES OF CHRIST. 175 



LESSON CLXI. 

Text. — "Whom when the Lord had seen, being moved with 
mercy towards her, He said to her : Weep not. And He came 
near and touched the bier. (And they that carried it, stood still.) 
And He said : Young man, I say to thee, arise. And he that was 
dead, sat up, and began to speak. And He gave him to his 
mother." (Luke vii. 13-15.) 

Eeflection. — Jesus the resurrection and the life. 

485. Was Christ solicited to perform this miracle? 
There is no record that any one asked Jesus to perform 

this miracle. He was moved to do it by His sympathy for 
the sorrowing, widowed mother. It also allowed Him to 
manifest His divine power and mercy, that thus He might 
attest His divine mission. 

486. What did this miracle show to the people? 

That Christ was the master of life and death, who could 
raise the dead to life as easily as He could perform the 
most ordinary actions,, and hence must be Cod, who would 
one day call all men to judgment. Christ's power over 
death was evidenced in this miracle. 

487. What effect had His words on the dead 
man? 

Immediately he that was dead sat up and began to 
speak, thus evidencing that he was restored to life. 
The people who witnessed this were astonished and 
filled with fear, for they felt that one who could do 
such things must be a great prophet sent by God to His 
people. They thought His miracle was like those per- 
formed by the prophets of old, and failed fully to dis- 
tinguish the divinity in Christ. 



17G 



THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



2. The Ruler's Daughter. 




Read carefully and study verses 41-56 of the Eighth Chapter 
of St. Luke's gospel, and also verses 18-26 of the Ninth Chapter 
of St. Matthew. 

LESSON CLXII. 

Text. — "And behold there came a man whose name was 
Jairus, and lie was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down 
at the feet of Jesus, beseeching Him that lie would come into 
his house, for he h;t<l ;in only daughter almost twelve years old, 
and she was dying." (Luke viii. 41, 42.) 

Reflection.— Test of fail li. 



488. Where was Christ when the call came to Him 
to visit the dying girl ? 

lie was in Capharnaum in the house of Matthew, who had 
invited Jesus and I lis disciples to a feast, in order that the 



MIRACLES OF CHRIST 177 

r friends of the tax-collector might meet Jesus and 
be brought under His influence 

489. Who was this ruler who besought this favor 
from Jesus ? 

He was one of the elders or presiding officers of the 
_ :giie in Capharnanm, and was consequently a most 
prominent Jew. With the reverence proper to the Ori- 
entals he fell on his knees, and touched the ground with 
his forehead, that he might thus manifest his deep respect. 

490. What was remarkable in the action of this 
man ? 

We must remark the strength of his faith, which 
expected from Jesus help to bring his daughter to life. It 
was an intelligent faith and tested by great difficulties; 
for he went to the house of a publican, whom the Jews 
des] ised, and asked a favor from one in whom he pi: 
his last hope. 

LESSON CLXIII. 

Text. — "As He was yet speaking, there conieth one to the 
ruler of the synagogue, saying to him : Thy daughter is dead : 
trouble Him not. And Jesus hearing this word, answered the 
father of the maid : Fear not, believe only, and she shall be 
safe. But He taking her by the hand cried out saying: Maid, 
rise. And her spirit returned, and she rose immediately. . . . 
And her parents were astonished, whom He eharged to tell no 
man what was done. M (Luke viii 49. SO, 54-56. | 

Rejli t: n. — Triumph of faith. 

■491. What was the difficulty which confronted the 
faith of Jairus '? 

It was that while he was asking Christ to save his 

daughter from death word came that she was already 

He might have thought that if Christ 'had gone 



178 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CUBIST. 

immediately He could have prevented death. Still, not- 
withstanding the bad news he seems not to have faltered. 

492. What condition did Christ lay down for the 
extraordinary miracle ? 

It was that Jairus should believe in Him and all would 
go well with the girl. To Him nothing was impossible; 
but He demanded that the father recognize that the gift 
was to come from God, who would thus reward his belief 
and his confidence in Him. 

493. How did the crowd regard the cheering word 
of Jesus ? 

With scorn and ridicule, for they had no faith in Him. 
But He disregarded their contempt, and rewarded the 
ruler's faith by restoring the girl to life, and thus, in the 
presence of an astonished crowd, lie performed one of His 
great miracles. 



The Transfiguration. 

Read carefully and study verses 28-36 of the Ninth Chapter 
of St. LuTce^s gospel ; also verses 1-13 of the Seventeenth Chapter 

of St. JIatt/iew and verses 2-10 of the Ninth Chapter of'JSt. Mark. 

LESSON CLXIV. 

Text. — "And it came to pass about eight days after these 
words, that lie took Peter and Janus and John, and went up 
into a mountain to pray. And whilst He prayed, the shape of 
His countenance was altered: and His raiment became white and 
glittering." (Luke ix. 28, 29.) 

Reflection. — The results of prayer. 

494. When and where did the Transfiguration take 
place ? 

It very probably took place in the summer, about 
nine months before the Crucifixion. It is thought to 



THE TRANSFIGURATION. 



179 



have happened in the night, because Jesus usually prayed 
during the night, and the Gospel narrative speaks of His 
coining down from the mountain the next day, when the 
sleepiness of the apostles indicated an all-night vigil. 




495. Can we locate the scene of the Transfigura- 
tion ? 

It has generally been received that it took place on 

Mount Thabor, and Christian art has so certified; but 

modern scholars are inclined to think it was not on Mount 

Thabor, but on Mount Hermon, in the vicinity of Cesarea 

Philippi. 



496. What happened on the wav to Oeearea ? 

It was then that Christ foretold His Passion — that the 
Son of man would be rejected and betrayed and crucified, 
but that He would rise aerain on the third day. This cast a 



180 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

great gloom over His disciples, and it was to dispel this 
gloom that Jesus determined to reveal Himself to them, or 
at least to the chosen ones. 

497. Why did He choose but three of the twelve to 
witness His Transfiguration ? 

It may have been because they were the most advanced 
in knowledge of Him and were better fitted to receive the 
new revelation. They were His first acquaintances and 
the first whom He called to the apostolate. The other 
nine were left at the foot of the mountain. 



LESSON CLXV. 

Text. — "And behold two men were talking witb Him. And 
they were Moses and Elias, appearing in majesty : and they spoke 
of His decease that He should accomplish in Jerusalem. But 
Peter and they that were with Him, were heavy with sleep. And 
awaking, they saw His glory, and the two men that stood with 
Him." (Luke ix. 30-32.) 

Reflection. — The glory of God revealed. 

498. What happened to Christ in the scene on the 
mount ? 

St. Matthew says: "He was transfigured before them," 
which means that the appearance of His countenance 
changed as if it were lighted up from without and within, 
His heavenly glory breaking forth and making His face to 
shine as the sun, while His garments became white as snow. 
(Matt. xvii. 2.) 

499. Who appeared with Him and why ? 

Moses and Elias appeared in their glorified bodies that 
they might show (1) the fulfilment of the law and the 
prophets in Christ and bear witness to Him, and (2) that 
thus they might attest the complete redemption which 
Christ effected. 



THE TRANSFIGURATION. 1S1 

500. How did they attest the law and the prophets ? 

Moses was the representative of the law, for he was the 
law-giver of the Jews, and Christ was to transform the law 
into the Gospel. Moses was also a type of Christ. Elias 
represented the prophets, who foretold the coming of Christ 
and prepared the way for Him. Elias stood for those who 
had prophesied the Passion and glorious Resurrection of 
Christ. 

LESSON CLXVI. 

Text. — "And it came to pass that as they were departing from 
Him, Peter saith to Jesus : Master, it is good for us to be here : 
and let us make three tabernacles, one for Thee, and one for 
Moses, and one for Elias : not knowing what he said/' (Luke 
ix. 33.) 

Reflection. —Thanksgiving for favors. 

501. Why did Jesus grant this vision to His chosen 
disciples ? 

To console them after His sad words concerning His 
approaching Passion. He allowed them to catch a glimpse 
of His dignity, that thus they might know something of 
the power which as king He possessed, and the Resurrection 
be made easy of belief. 

502. What effect did it have upon the disciples ? 

It showed them the harmony between the Old and New 
Testaments, which must have appeared to them so much 
out of touch with one another, and thus it proved the 
unity of religion ; and it made manifest what was in store 
for redeemed humanity when faithful to God. 

503. What is the meaning of the words that Peter 
used: "not knowing what he said"? 

He was so dazzled by the sight that he would have 
wished the heavenly messengers to remain, that the disciples 



182 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

might enjoy the manifestation and learn more of the 
dignity and majesty of the Master, whom they were now 
beginning to understand more fully. 



LESSON CLXVII. 

Text. — "Arid as lie spoke these things, there came a cloud, 
and overshadowed them : and they were afraid, when 1hey 
entered into the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, 
saying: This is My beloved Son, hear Him. And whilst the 
voice was uttered, Jesus was found alone. And they held their 
peace, and told no man in those days any of these things which 
they had seen;' (Luke ix. 34-36.) 

Reflection. — The testimony of God. 

504. What did the bright cloud indicate ? 

It indicated in all probability the divine presence, which 
is frequently symbolized by the cloud of brightness, as on 
Mount Sinai to Moses, in the desert to the people, and also 
on the Ark between the cherubim. 

505. What was the significance of the voice out of 
the cloud ? 

It was the testimony of God as to Jesus. It had been 
hoard when John baptized Our Lord in the Jordan, and 
would be heard again as He approached His Passion. In 
proclaiming to the apostles that Jesus Christ was His Son, 
God also proclaimed it to the whole world. 

506. Why were they warned to tell no man what 
they had seen ? 

Because the others were so worldly and so carnal in their 
ideas that they were not prepared to accept this heavenly 
testimony. It would have been misunderstood and per- 
verted, and the human nature in Christ would not have 
been believed as real. 



THE RAISING OF LAZARUS. 



183 



The Raising of Lazarus. 

Read carefully and study verses 1-45 of the Eleventh Chapter 
of /St. Johns gospel. 




LESSON CLXVIII. 

Text. — "Now there was a certain man sick named Lazarus, of 
Bethania, of the town of Mary and of Martha her sister. (And 
Mary was she that anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped 
His feet with her hair : whose brother Lazarus was sick.) His 
sisters therefore sent to Him saying : Lord, behold, he whom 
Thou lovest, is sick." (John xi. 1-3.) 

Reflection. — Sympathy in sorrow. 

507. Where was Christ when He received the mes- 
sage of the illness of Lazarus ? 

He was at Bethabara, beyond the Jordan, while the home 
of Lazarus was in Bethany, on the Mount of Olives, about 



184: THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

two miles south-east from Jerusalem, where he lived with his 
two sisters, and where Jesus made a home when He found 
Himself in that neighborhood. The distance between the 
two places was about thirty miles. 

508. Is this Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalen 
the one woman ? 

There has been much discussion about the identity of 
these two names; but strong opinion favors believing them 
to be one and the same. This also may be seen by the 
office for July -2d, as found in the Breviary. 

509. What was the nature of the love of Jesus for 
them? 

He loved them because they were good people who loved 
God, and as He visited them frequently He had also a 
human affection for them as a family to which He was 
much attached. Hence Lazarus is called His friend, 
because there was a special affection between them. 

LESSON CLXIX. 

Text. — "And Jesus hearing it, said to them : This sickness is 
not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God 
may be glorified by it. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister 
Mary, and Lazarus. When He had heard therefore that he was 
sick, He still remained in the same place two days." (John xi. 
4-6.) 

Reflection. — Duty of affection. 

510. In the meantime what had happened? 
Lazarus had died and was buried the same day. The 

sisters had sent for Jesus, and His not coming had caused 
all hope to disappear. They could not understand why He 
delayed. 

511. When did Jesus arrive at Bethany ? 

He arrived four days after the death of Lazarus, and was 



THE RAISING OF LAZARUS. 185 

met outside the city by Martha, who. with a certain sor- 
rowful reproach, said to Him: " Lord, if Thou hadst been 
here my brother had not died; but now also I know that 
whatsoever Thou wilt ask of God, God will give it Thee." 

512. What was the answer which Jesus made to 
Martha's words ? 

He assured her that Lazarus would rise again, and that 
this resurrection would not be the one which would come 
at the last day, but here and now, as He was the resurrec- 
tion and the life. 



LESSON CLXX. 
i 

Text. — " Jesussaith: Takeaway the stone. . . . They took there- 
fore the stone away : and Jesus lifting up His eyes, said : Father, 
I give Thee thanks that Thou hast heard Me; and I knew that 
Thou nearest Me always, but because of the people who stand 
about have I said it: that they may believe that Thou hast sent 
Me. When He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice: 
Lazarus, come forth." (John xi. 39, 41-43.) 

Reflection. — Resurrection from sin. 

513. Why did Jesus weep when told the story of 
Lazarus' death ? 

Because of the loving sympathy and tenderness of His 
character. He rejoices with those in joy, as at the mar- 
riage feast, and He sorrows with those in affliction. It is 
the love of God manifesting itself so that we may under- 
stand it. 

514. What did He demand of Martha? 

What He had demanded from all others who sought for 
His miraculous intervention, namely, a faith in God and a 
confidence in His power to do that which would manifest 
the glory of God and restore her brother to her. 



186 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST 

515. What was the object of the prayer which Jesus 
uttered ? 

It was to teach the multitude to have recourse to God iu 
all circumstances, and also to prove the unity of action 
between Him and His Father; for if the miracle be per- 
formed, then it proves His divine mission. 

LESSON CLXXI. 

Text. — "And presently he that had been dead came forth, 
bound feet and hands with winding-bands, and his face was 
bound about with a napkin. Jesus said to them: Loose him and 
let him go. Many therefore of the Jews who were come to Mary 
and Martha, and had seen the things that Jesus did, believed in 
Him." (John xi. 44, 45.) 

Reflection.— New life through Christ. 

516. In what did this miracle differ from that of 
Nairn and of the daughter of Jairus ? 

In this, that Lazarus was several days dead, and was 
buried and had already entered upon corruption, so that 
health came to corruption as well as life to death; while as 
in the other cases before corruption had set in life came to 
the body, and the soul returned to inhabit the body it had 
quitted. 

517. What effect had this miracle upon those who 
witnessed it ? 

Many, seeing the fact, were convinced that the power 
which could so operate must be divine, and that Christ was 
what He called Himself — the Son of God. 

518. What became of Lazarus after these events ? 

The legends have it that he lived for thirty years after- 
wards, and that he and his sisters were sent to sea in a 
leaky boat and drifted to Marseilles, where he preached the 
Gospel, became bishop, established the Church and suffered 
martyrdom. 



THE RAISING OF LAZARUS. 187 



BIBLE TALKS. 

The Bible and the People. {Concluded.) 

We have seen that not only does our Church not forbid us to 
read the Bible, but that she urges us to study it carefully and 
religiously in order to find light and consolation. She insists on 
one condition, that the version used be a Catholic one, authorized 
by our bishops. As we have seen, this is to preserve us from the 
danger of being led astray by incorrect or unauthorized transla- 
tions. As the Catholic acknowledges the Church as his teacher, 
so in his study or reading of the Bible he will seek for her 
interpretation of all the texts. To him the Bible is a treasury of 
divine knowledge, a source of the knowledge of life. In it he 
finds the foundations of belief and the rule of conduct for his 
life. We should avail ourselves of the liberty given us by the 
Church to open this great book and read the very words of God 
Himself. How much time is spent by men in reading the vain 
and deceitful words of men in the daily papers and in the books 
that flood us on every side ! In the Bible God Himself speaks 
to us, and men value it not. See how the Jews of old read 
the laws of Moses, and went to them in all their trials and diffi- 
culties ! See how they reverenced the Ark of the Covenant 
simply because it contained the tablets of stone on which God 
had engraven the ten commandments ! How they listened to 
the voice of the prophets because they spoke in the name of 
God ! How much more reverence and confidence we should 
have in the Book in which God has written not merely the com- 
mandments, but the history of His people, His mercy and love, 
as seen above all in our blessed Saviour ! We read the lives of 
heroes and great men, warriors and statesmen ; we find so much 
to admire in their acts and words because we think that they 
were great and wise. In the Bible we have characters beauti- 
ful to admire and admirable to imitate. Their deeds are the 
deeds of virtue and true greatness. We have Jesus Christ, our 
good and gentle Saviour, Our Lord and God, greater than the 
greatest of men, whose life is full of all that is worthy of admi- 
ration and love. He is Our Redeemer, the One who has saved us 
from slavery and ignorance and eternal loss. How we should 
love to know Him, to read His life, to learn His words ! In this 



188 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

age, when faith is so weak and when truth is so surrounded with 
the dangers of error, we need to go to the word of God for light 
and strength. The Church bids us open this Book, as St. Augus- 
tine was bidden, that we may read what is truth and life. If 
we would desire to enter into the spirit of holy Church, we will 
study the Bible under the direction of safe spiritual guides, and 
thus keep God nearer to us. 

How beautiful the words of Cardinal Gibbons in a sermon 
on the Bible: "You who are chosen soldiers of Christ should 
certainly have as much attachment for the Book of books 
as Alexander had for the Greek poet. If you rest on your 
pillow, armed with 'the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of 
God,' you will find in it the best sedative for allaying mental 
troubles and feverish excitement; you will repose in peace and 
security; for, in the language of the Psalmist, God shall over- 
shadow thee with His shoulders and under His wings thou shalt 
trust. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler." 

The Rich Young Man. 

Read carefully and study verses 17-27 of the Tenth Chapter 
of st. Murk : also r< rses 10-80 of the Nineteenth Chapter of St. 
Matthew, awl verses 18-30 of the Eighteenth Chapter of St. 
Lake. 



LESSON CLXXII. 

Text. — "And when He was gone forth into the way, a certain 
man running up and kneeling before Him, asked Him : Good 
Master, what shall I do that I may receive life everlasting? And 
Jesus said to him : Why callest thou Me good ? None is good but 
one, thai is God." (Mark x. 17, 18.) 

Ueflfxtion. — Importance of salvation. 

519. Where and when did this event take place ? 

It took place while Christ was on His way to Jerusalem, 
near the borders of Samaria and Galilee, just before He 
reached Jericho. It happened about a month before the 
Passion, a few weeks after the resurrection of Lazarus. 



THE RICH YOUNG MAN. 



181) 



520. What had happened in the meantime ? 

The Jewish leaders were so excited against Christ by the 
raising of Lazarus, that He kept away from Jerusalem and 
returned to Ephrem, in the mountains of northern Judea. 
As He journeyed to the Jordan He healed the ten lepers, 
discoursed on the kingdom of God, and blessed the little 
children, as we may see narrated in the seventeenth and 
eighteenth chapters of St. Luke. 




521. Who was the rich young ruler? 

He was probably an elder in the synagogue, possessing 
great means, and was attracted to Christ by his deep re- 
ligious nature. As he saw Him coming from the house 
where He had blessed the little children he earnestly 
sought an answer to his question about salvation. He, no 
doubt, was anxious to talk with Christ and satisfy lr!s mind 
upon topics of religious life which interested him. 



190 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



LESSON CLXXIIL 

Text. — "Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit 
adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Bear not false witness, Do 
no fraud, Honor thy father and mother. . . . Master, all these 
things I have observed from my youth." (Mark x. 19, 20.) 

Reflection.— Conditions of salvation. , 

522. What was the character of this ruler, and why- 
did he kneel to Christ ? 

His character was evidently that of a young man of 
irreproachable life who had aspired to even higher things, 
yet he was filled with the idea of his own goodness, and 
acted, as did the Pharisees, from outward motives. Tie 
knelt to Christ because he recognized Him as a great teacher 
deserving of reverence. He felt that he might learn some- 
thing about the spiritual life from Christ. 

523. What was the object of Christ's question about 
Himself and goodness ? 

It was to find if the young man regarded Him as more 
than an ordinary teacher. He does not deny His own 
goodness as God, but He tries to find out if He be recognized 
as God, and thus the sincerity of the young man is put to a 
test which leads him to the true source of goodness, which 
is in God, and not in personal righteousness, which latter 
seemed to be the young man's idea. 

524. What did Christ declare to be the conditions of 
eternal life ? 

He gave as an absolute condition of eternal life that he 
observe the commandments of God, which teach man's 
duty to God and to his fellow-man, and which must be 
followed in spirit as well as in letter, as Christ said, accord- 
ing to St. Matthew: " It' thou wilt enter into life keep the 
commandments." 



THE RICH YOUNG MAN 191 



LESSON CLXXIV. 

Text. — "And Jesus looking on him, loved him, and said to 
him: One thing is wanting unto thee: go, sell whatsoever thou 
hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in 
heaven : and come, follow Me. Who being struck sad at that 
saying, went away sorrowful : for he had great possessions." 
(Mark x. 21, 22.) 

Keflection— The perfect life. 

525. Why did Jesus love the young man ? 

Because He saw that he was a noble character and was 
earnest in desiring to know what more was required of him 
beside the mere observance of the law. He saw great 
possibilities in him if he would only correspond to grace 
and make sacrifices for God, and thus perhaps become one 
of the chosen ministers of Christ, and aid in the work of 
the salvation of mankind, as well as in his own salvation, 
which occupied his whole attention at this particular 
moment, as may be seen by his question. 

526. What did Christ advise him to do ? 

Wishing that he might lead a perfect life, He recom- 
mended that he disengage himself from his worldly 
possessions and give himself unreservedly to God as a 
disciple of Christ, ^hose self-denial he was called to imitate 
and whose ministry he was called to serve. As Christ gave 
him to understand, this was the surest way to attain to 
everlasting life. 

527. How did the young man receive this condition ? 

The condition appeared to him to demand too much 
sacrifice, and he was unwilling to fulfil it. He was dis- 
appointed and grieved as he realized the difficulty of facing 
Avhat seemed to be poverty, and he lacked the generous 
courage which might be expected from his character. 



192 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



LESSON CLXXV. 

Text.— " And Jesus looking round about, saith to His disciples : 
How hardly shall they, that have riches, enter into the kingdom 
of God ! And the disciples were astonished at His words. But 
Jesus again answering, saith to them : Children, how hard is it 
for them that trust in riches, to enter into the kingdom of God ! 
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than 
for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." (Mark x. 
23-'25.) 

Reflection. — Danger from riches. 

528. What is meant by trusting in riches ? 

It means attachment to them or the placing of one's 
dependence upon them as if they were man's only good, or 
his chief aim in life. This address of Christ is not intended 
as an attack upon the rich, so much as a warning to them. 
Wealth is not man's end in life; on the contrary, the in- 
ordinate love of wealth leads to his destruction, for it 
usurps the place of God in the hearts and. minds of men 
who. worship it. 

529. What is the strength of the comparison with the 
camel and the needle's eye ? 

Christ is thought to have used this comparison in order 
to express a great difficulty; for the camel was a large 
animal, and the eye of a needle was very small. As it was 
impossible for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, 
so would it he for the rich to reach heaven. The needle's 
eve was also the name given by the Arabs to the small 
door found often in the city gates admitting a man but not 
his camel until he had unloaded all the goods attached to 
it. This showed the difficulty of entering heaven unless 
one were detached from riches. But this Arabian idea is 
thought not to date back to the time of Christ. 



THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM. 193 



HOLY WEEK. 
The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. 

Read carefully and study verses 1-11 of the Eleventh Chapter 
of St. Mark's gospel; also verses 1-17 of the Twenty-first Chap- 
ter of St. Matthew; verses 29-48 of the Nineteen tit Chapter of 
St. Luke, and verses 12-19 of the Twelfth Chapter of St. John. 




LESSON CLXXVI. 

Text. — "And when they drew nigh to Jerusalem, and were 
come to Bethphage, unto Mount Olivet : then Jesus sent two 
disciples, saying to them : Go ye into the village that is over 
against you, and immediately you shall find an ass tied, and a 
colt with her: loose them and bring them to Me : and if any 
man shall say anything to you, say ye, that the Lord hath need 
of them: and forthwith he will let them go." (Matt. xxi. 1-3.) 

Reflection.— Christ as King. 



194 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

530. What happened after the time when Christ 
taught the rich young ruler ? 

Christ went to the house of Zacheus into Jericho, and 
thence to Bethany, where He was visited by many Jews on 
the following Sabbath, after which He attended a supper in 
the house of Simon and was anointed by Mary. This was 
just before the Passion, when He was entering upon the 
last week of His public life. 

531. Where was Jesus when He sent His disciples 
to the village of Bethphage ? 

He was on the western slope of the Mount of Olives, near 
Jerusalem, not far from Bethany, the home of Lazarus, 
and within sight of Bethphage. Here He remained to 
prepare for the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. 

532. Who were the disciples whom Jesus sent, and 
what was the village ? 

It is thought that the two disciples were Peter and 
John, as may be seen in Luke xxii. 8. Bethphage, which 
means House of Figs, was the town to which they were 
sent, and this they reached by a foot-path across the 
gorge, in order the quicker to comply with their Master's 
command. 

LESSON CLXXVII. 

Text.— "Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled 
which was spoken by the prophet, saying: Tell ye the daughter 
of Sion : Behold thy King cometh to thee, meek, and sitting upon 
an ass and a colt the foal of her that is used to the yoke. And 
the disciples going did as Jesus commanded them. And they 
brought the ass and the colt : and laid their garments upon them, 
and made Him sit thereon." (Matt. xxi. 4-7 ) 

Reflection.— The fulfilment of the prophecy. 

533. Who uttered the prophecy to which the Evan- 
gelist alludes ? 

The prophet Zacharias (ix. 0) uttered the prophecy, 



THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM. 195 

which is quoted by St. Matthew. Isaias also prophesied 
in a similar strain. The Messias was to come to His people 
as a king and in the simplest manner — not as in war, but 
as in peace,, for the ass was the symbol of peace. 

534. What did this prophecy mean in its fulfil- 
ment ? 

It meant to show the character of the Messias, who was 
to offer Himself as the King whose mission was to rule the 
hearts of men. He came, from a sense of duty, to reveal 
His kingly power to the people of Jerusalem, and His 
kingly power foreshadowed His final triumph. 

535. How did He assert His kingly power ? 

By claiming to be the Messias and manifesting His 
ability to perfectly accomplish the will of God, showing 
His authority over all things (1) by His message to His 
disciples; (2) by taking for His use what His subjects 
possessed. His kingship was one of love and peace. 

LESSON CLXXVIII. 

Text. — "And a very great multitude spread their garments in 
the way: and others cut boughs from the trees, and strewed 
them in the way: and the multitudes that went before, and that 
followed, cried, saying : Hosanna to the Son of David : blessed is 
He that cometh in the name of the Lord : Hosanna in the high- 
est." (Matt. xxi. 8, 9.) 

Reflection. — The welcome to the King. 

536. What was the occasion which brought great 
multitudes at that time to Jerusalem ? 

It was the feast of Passover, which brought the Jews 
from all over the world to take part in the ceremonies of the 
feast. It is known that sometimes nearly three millions of 
people crow r ded into Jerusalem. This fact accounts for the 
great crowds that blocked the way of Jesus to the Temple. 



190 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

537. Why did they spread their garments before 
Him? 

This was to manifest their reverence and esteem; for it 
was customary to so strew the way before one whom they 
regarded as a king, thus to proclaim his dominion over his 
people and the people's obedience and reverence. Though 
Jesus was humble and simple, yet He was King, and Jerusa- 
lem so acknowledged it. 

538. What was the meaning of the cries of the 
people ? 

They were the expressions of the joy of the people at 
what they had seen in the miracles which Jesus had per- 
formed. It was a mingling of praise and rejoicing, while 
all clamored for salvation from Him, who was God's 
messenger to them, for He came in the name of the Lord. 

LESSON CLXX1X. 

Text. — "And the chief priests and Scribes seeing the wonder- 
ful things that He did, and the children crying in the Temple, 
and saying : Ilosanna to the Son of David, were moved with 
indignation. And leaving them, He went out of the city into 
Bethania: and remained there." (Matt. xxi. 15, 17.) 

Reflection. — Abuse of grace. 

539. What was the feeling of Jesus as He ap- 
proached Jerusalem ? 

As He saw it He knew how little Jerusalem thought of 
God and redemption, and how ignorant she was of all God's 
mercies, and He wept as He remembered all that God had 
done for His people. He saw the destruction that was 
impending upon this city and people. 

540. Why did Jesus enter the Temple, and what 
followed ? 

He entered it to take formal possession of His Father's 
house. The innocent children chanted His praise and 
welcomed Him, and He told the Jews that perfect praise 



THE LAST SUPPER. 



197 



came from the mouths of infants. He cleansed the Temple 
and proclaimed it His Father's house. In sorrow He went 
from Jerusalem and passed the night in Bethany. 

The Last Supper. 

Bead carefully and study verses 12-26 of the Fourteenth 
Chapter of St. Mark 's gospel ; also verses 17-30 of the Twenty- 
si vtli Chapter of St. JIatthew, and verses 7-30 of the Twenty- 
second Chapter of St. Luke. 




LESSOR CLXXX. 

Text. — " And on the first day of the Azymes the disciples came 
to Jesus saying : Where wilt Thou that we prepare for Thee to 
eat the Pasch ? But Jesus said : Go ye into the city to a certain 
man, and say to him : The Master saith : My time is near at 
hand, with thee I make the Pasch with My disciples. And the 
disciples did as Jesus appointed to them, and they prepared the 
Pasch." (Matt. xxvi. 17-19.) 

Reflection. —Love of T esus for men. 



198 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

541. Where and how did Jesus spend the time 
between the triumphal entry and the Last Supper ? 

He discoursed in the Temple and on Mount Olivet on 
Monday and Tuesday, giving parables, denouncing the 
Pharisees, and announcing His Passion. He then went to 
Bethany, where He spent "Wednesday, and Thursday morn- 
ing. In the afternoon of this latter day He sent His 
disciples to have the Pasch prepared. 

542. What is meant by the first day of the Azymes ? 

The Azymes was the term used to designate the feast of 
the unleavened bread, because it alone was allowed. It 
signified the hurry with which the Jews fled from Egypt, 
no1 waiting for the bread to rise. It is also made to refer 
to all their afflictions while in bondage. 

543. When was the Passover celebrated ? 

It was always celebrated at the full moon and at the 
beginning of the month Nisan, which was the first month 
of the Hebrews and corresponds to our March or April. 
The new moon indicated the new religious year of the 
Jews. In the evening after sunset, the beginning of the 
fifteenth day, the paschal supper was eaten. 

LESSON CLXXXI. 

Text. — "But when it was evening, He sat down with His 
twelve disciples. And whilst they were eating, He said : Amen 
I say to yon, that one of you is about to betray Me. And they 
being very much troubled, began every one to say : Is it I, Lord ? 
But lie answering said : He that dippeth his Land with Me in the 
dish, he shall betray Me." (Matt. xxvi. 20-23.) 

Reflection.— The sin of betrayal. 

544. Which of the disciples were sent to prepare 
the Pasch ? 

Peter and John were selected by Christ, because they 
were acquainted with the city, and their duty was to 



THE LAST SUPPER. 199 

furnish the room, select the lamb and have it prepared 
for the feast, and supply all else that might be necessary. 

545. Why was the choice cf place made by Christ 
Himself ? 

Because during the Passover celebration all Jerusalem 
was supposed to give hospitality, and all pilgrims were 
freely received and cared for. No doubt Christ had made 
previous arrangements about the place, and hence the 
apostles had no trouble. 

546. How was the room furnished for the feast ? 

It was furnished with tables and couches, and prepared 
for the reception of guests. In this case the host was 
probably a disciple of Christ, but for fear of the Jews he 
practised his religion in secret, and hence his name is not 
given. He showed them to the large upper room, which 
was a mark of great distinction. 



LESSON CLXXXII. 

Text. — "The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of Him : 
but wo to that man, by whom the Son of man shall be betrayed : 
it were better for him, if that man had not been born. And 
Judas that betrayed Him, answering said: Is it I, Rabbi? He 
saith to him : Thou hast said it." (Matt. xxvi. 24, 25.) 

Reflection. — Hypocrisy. 

547. When did Jesus go to Jerusalem to the supper- 
room? 

Late in the afternoon of Thursday, in time to comply 
with the law of the Passover. The twelve apostles accom- 
panied Him and manifested some jealousy as to the places 
they were to occupy, and Jesus had to teach them a lesson 
in humility. 

548. What was the first ceremony which followed? 

The washing of the feet, usually done by the servants, 



200 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

was clone in this instance by Christ Himself, who insisted 
on washing the feet of His apostles who were His guests. 
Thus, while the law was being observed, a lesson in humility 
was taught them, as He, the first among them, made Him- 
self the least. 

549. What followed this act of humility ? 

Jesus then referred to the treachery of Judas, who had 
already gone to the high priests and accepted a bribe to 
betray Him that very night. His words might serve to call 
.Judas to repentance or to Warn the apostles of the danger 
which threatened them. In answer to their anxious 
inquiries Christ tells them that it is one of those eating 
bread with Him who would betray Him. 

LESSON CLXXXIII. 

Text. — "And whilst they, were at supper, Jesus took bread, 
and blessed, and broke, and gave to His disciples, and said : 
Take ye, and eat : This is My body. And taking the chalice He 
gave thanks: and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of this. 
For this is My blood of the New Testament which shall be shed 
for many unto remission of sins." (Matt. xxvi. 26-28.) 

Reflection.— The Holy Eucharist. 

550. What happened after the eating of the paschal 
lamb? 

Christ then fulfilled the promise made at the multipli- 
cation of the loaves and fishes. Taking the unleavened 
bread and the chalice filled with wine, He blessed them 
and gave them to the apostles to eat and drink, saving that 
they were His body and His blood, thus establishing the 
Eucharist and giving the bread He had promised. 

551. What happened at the moment these words 
were uttered ? 

These words changed tin; substance of bread and wine 



CHRIST AT GETHSEMANI. 201 

into the substance of the body and blood of Christ. It 
was God who said those words, and we believe them to be 
true, just as He said them. This change is called the 
Eucharist, a Greek word meaning thanksgiving, because at 
the establishment of it He gave thanks, although it was at 
the shedding of His own blood. 

552. What power did Christ then confer upon the 
apostles ? 

The power to do what He had done. For He said: 
'' Do this for a commemoration of Me," which was accepted 
by them as constituting them priests of the New Law, who, 
in the bread and wine of the Sacrifice of the Mass, would 
maintain a perpetual memorial of Christ, and thus offer 
the Sacrifice of the New Law. This was the faith of the 
Apostles and of the Church which they established in the 
world. 

Christ at Gethsemani. 

Read carefully and study verses 32-42 of the Fourteenth 
Chapter of St. Mark ; also veises 36-46 of the Twenty-sixth 
Chapter of St. Matthew, and, verses 39-46 of the Twenty-second 
Chapter of St. Luke. 

LESSON CLXXXIV. 

Text.— "And they come to a farm called Gethsemani. And 
He saith to His disciples: Sit you here, while I pray. And He 
taketh Peter and James and John with Him: and He began to 
fear and to be heavy. And He saith to them: My soul is sorrow- 
ful even unto death: stay you here and watch." (Mark xiv. 
32-34.) 

Reflection.— Sorrow of sin. 

553. What happened after the Last Supper ? 

Judas went out to fulfil his bargain with the high 
priests, and Christ discoursed at length to the other 



202 



THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



apostles about His mission. Then, having chanted the 
hymn prescribed by the law, they went out, crossed the 
brook of Cedron, and entered the Garden of Olives, where 
Jesus was accustomed to pray. 




554. Where was the brook of Cedron ? 

It was a deep ravine crossed by two bridges — one on the 
road to St. Stephen's Gate and another leading to the 
Golden Gate. Cedron means Mack; and the brook was so 
called because its dark waters were colored by the blood of 
the sacrifices from the Mount of the Temple. 

555. Where was the Garden of Gethsemani located ? 

According to St. Jerome, it lay at the foot of Mount 
Olivet, east of the brook of Cedron, probably not far from 
the present Gethsemani Garden. It was a small enclosure 
which in those days offered a quiet place of retreat near 
the olive-press. The true spot was no doubt determined 



CHRIST AT GETHSEMANI. 203 

during the visit of St. Helena to Jerusalem in 326, when 
the place of Calvary was identified. 



LESSON CLXXXV. 

• 

Text. — "And when He was gone forward a little, He fell flat 
on the ground: and He prayed that if it might be, the hour 
might pass from Him: and He saith: Abba, Father, all things 
are possible to Thee, remove this chalice from Me. but not what I 
will, but what Thou wilt. And He cometh, and findeth them 
sleeping. And He saith to Peter: Simon, sleepest thou ? couldst 
thou not watch one hour ? " (Mark xiv. 35-37.) 

Eeflectiox. — Necessity of prayer. 

556. How did He divide the apostles ? 

He placed eight of them as outer sentinels at the en- 
trance to the garden, to guard against surprises and inter- 
ruptions, and He bade them pray while He and the three 
others went into the garden. Peter, James, and John, 
who had witnessed His Transfiguration, were to witness 
His agony. 

557. What was His instruction to those three 
apostles ? 

He bade them act as the inner guard, and also to watch 
and pray, so as to avoid temptation. Then He advanced 
further in, to be alone in prayer. He was some two hun- 
dred feet from them, or, as the Gospel calls it, about a 
stone's throw. There, kneeling, He entered into prayer 
and agony. 

558. What was the sorrow that afflicted Christ? 

It was the extreme of human sorrow. As man lie was 
to endure this agony, which came (1) from a sense of the 
heinousness of sin. with which He loaded Himself ; ("2) 
from His utter abandonment and destitution of all hu- 
man comfort; (3) man's ingratitude. His human nature 



204 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHBIST. 

revolted against suffering, and in His agony He suffered all 
that humanity could endure. 



LESSON CLXXXVI. 

Text. — "Watch ye. and pray that you enter not into tempta- 
tion. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. And 
going away again, He pi I, s tying the same aud when 

He returned He found them again asleep (for their eyes were 
heavy) and they knew not what to answer Him.** (Mark xiv. 

REFfiCTi M — K T of watchful:. 

559. "Why did Christ ask that the chalice pass 
away from Him ? 

It was so filled with suffering and trial that it seemed 
impossible for human nature to find strength to drink it: 
but the divine will in Christ asserted itself, and He 
cepted the chalice as God offered it. This agony showed 
the extent of the burden of sin which demanded such a 
redemption. 

560. What was the answer to Christ's prayer ? 
Courage came to Him that lie might endure the £ 

ing. An angel came and supported Him, thus giving 
Him that help which His human nature demanded. Con- 
3 .'ion and courage came as manifestations of help from 
God to Him. 



561. What had happened to the apostles? 

They were o - p 9 for it was after the 

midnight hour, and all the excitement of the day and the 
forebodings for the morrow combined to weary them. 
St. Luke ; hat they wei ad ping 1 

sorrow, yet Christ reproached them for inability to watch 
with Him even for one hour. 



CUIUS T AT GETHSEMANT. 205 



LESSON CLXXXVII. 

Text. — ' ; And He cometh the third time, and saith to them: 
Sleep ye now, and take your rest. It is enough: the hour is 
come : behold the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of 
sinners. Rise up, let us go; behold, he that will betray Me is at 
hand." iMarkxiv. -41.42.) 

Reflection. — Ready for the sacrifice. 

562. How long did the prayer and agony last ? 
Probably an hour, although in the gospels an hour is 

made to express a brief period of time. Christ went to 
His prayer three times; for. as we see from the Gospel, He 
returned to His apostles twice, only to rind them drowsy 
and sleeping, and He went back to repeat the same prayer. 
He had but one thought, and that was the efficacy of His 
Passion. 

563. What was His action then with His apostles *? 
lie bade them take their rest if they so desired, for there 

would be no longer need of watching. He then stated that 
His hour had come and the powers of evil were about to rule, 
so that redemption might be effected. Rousing the three 
apostles. He went with them to the others, and said to 
them all that He was now ready for the sacrifice, as His 
night of prayer had fortified Him to meet the sacrifices 
demanded by the Passion. 

564. What then followed, and with what result? 

At the entrance to the garden as He returned Jesus 
met the band of men who, with a guard of soldiers, were 
coining with swords and torches to arrest Him. This was 
after midnight, about one o'clock Friday morning. The 
priests and the mob were led by the traitor apostle, Judas. 



206 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



BIBLE TALKS. 

It will be interesting to all the students of the New Testament 
studies that something be said of Douay College in France, which 
was one of the schools in which many of the Catholics of England 
received their education during the penal days. Douay is espe- 
cially interesting to us in our studies, because the English trans- 
lation of the New Testament most generally used and approved 
by the Church was made at Douay in 1609. Dr. Allen, after- 
wards cardinal, in 1568 founded this college, from which sprang 
many other English colleges in Europe. The importance of the 
Douay press can be best estimated by the fact that the printing of 
Catholic books was then prohibited in England. Bishop Challoner 
revised the English version and wrote several controversial works. 
Alban Butler's Lives of the Saints is well known, Milner's End 
of Controversy is in every good Catholic library, and Lingard's 
History of England is recognized as one of the best historical 
books in the language. All these men received their education 
at Douay. Many of the students became martyrs to the faith. 
We learn from the registers that in 1588 twenty-two priests and 
eleven laymen who had returned to England died for their 
religion. Douay College suffered from the French Revolution, 
during which the students were imprisoned,, and subjected to 
great indignities. As a result the college was abandoned, and 
its last members returned to England, where they were allowed to 
land, owing to certain changes for the better in the laws against 
Catholics. The Old Testament was published at the English Col- 
lege at Rheims in 1582, and the New Testament at Douay in 1609, 
but because of the influence of Douay in the whole work it is 
called the Douay Bible. 

Bishop Denvir, the Roman Catholic bishop of Down and Con- 
nor, in Ireland, published, in 1853, an official approbation of a 
new edition of the Douay Bible. Several editions of the Douay 
Bible have been published in the United States. In 1871 a new 
edition was prepared, under the direction of Dr. John Gilmary 
Shea. The text of Bishop Challoner's own edition of 1750 was 
followed, typographical errors were corrected, and the punctua- 
tion and the orthography of proper names were made to conform 
with the standard edition of the Vulgate of 1592. 



THE BETRAYAL. 



207 



THE DAT OF THE PASSION. 
The Betrayal. 




Read carefully and study verses 2-12 of the Eighteenth Chap- 
ter of St. John; verses 47-54 of the Twenty-second Chapter of 
St. Luke; verses 43-5:2 of the Fourteenth Chapter of St. Mark; 
and verses 47-56 of the Twenty-sixth Chapter of St. Matthew. 



LESSOX CLXXXVIII. 

Text. — •• And Judas also, who betrayed Him, knew the place: 
because Jesus had often resorted thither together with His dis- 
ciples. Judas therefore having received a band of soldiers, and 
servants from the chief priests and the Pharisees, cometh thither 
with lanterns and torches and weapons. "' (John xviii. 2, 3.) 

Reflection.— Wickedness of heart. 



208 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST 

565. While Jesus was at prayer in Gethsemani what 
was happening in Jerusalem ? 

Judas was conspiring with the chief priests, for after the 
Last Supper he went to the palace of the high priest, 
probably to that of Annas, who seemed to direct affairs. 
Here he made known the way by which Christ might be 
taken, and had orders issued as to the course to pursue. 

566. What was the agreement as to signals between 
Judas and the soldiers ? 

That he would recognize Christ and make Him known 
to them by the kiss with which he would greet Him. 
The kiss was the usual sign of salutation among the 
ancients. At this signal they were to seize Him and bear 
Him away to the high priest, who would immediately 
move for his punishment. 

567. Why did the high priest seek the power of the 
Roman government ? 

Because the Jews had no power to inflict capital punish- 
ment, and consequently the Sanhedrim had neither soldiers 
nor regularly armed men at its disposal. The Romans 
would not tolerate such among the Jews in Jerusalem. The 
Temple guard were mere police and were neither armed nor 
trained. For this reason Roman soldiers accompanied the 
band which sought Jesus. 

LESSON CLXXXIX. 

Text.— "Jesus therefore knowing all tilings that should 
come upon Him, went forth, and said to them : Whom seek ye? 
They answered Him : Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith to them : 
I am He. And Judas also, who betrayed Him, stood with them. 
As soon therefore as He had said to them : I am He : they went 
backward, and fell to the ground." (John xviii. 4-G.j 

Reflection. — The meekness of the Saviour. 

568. Why did they carry clubs and lanterns ? 

The Jews were afraid of the apostles and the people, and 



THE BETRAYAL. 209 

thought Jesus might be hiding in the ravine or in some 
dark spot in the garden. The attack was made after the 
midnight hour lest the multitude, thinking, well of all that 
Jesus had done, might go to His aid and frustrate their 
2)lans. 

569. What "was the action of Judas? 

He went in advance of the band and reached Jesus just 
as He had roused His apostles from sleep, and saluted Him 
with the words, "Hail, Kabbi," or Master, kissed Him, 
and thus made Him known to the soldiers. 

570. What was the maimer of the reception Judas 
received from Jesus ? 

Jesus did not turn from the traitor, but returned the 
kiss, saying, with His usual civility, but in a tone of 
stern reproach: "Friend, why art thou come?" and then 
as if answering his gesture, He added: "Judas, dost thou 
betray the Son of man with a kiss ? " 



LESSON CXO. 

Text. — "Again therefore He asked them : Whom seek ye? 
And they said : Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered : I have told 
you, that I am He : if therefore you seek Me, let these go their 
way. That the word might be fulfilled which He said : Of them 
whom Thou hast given Me, I have not lost any one.*" (John 
xviii. 7-9.) 

Reflection.-- Sense of responsibility. 

571. What did Jesus do after His reproach to Judas ? 

He left the traitor and advanced to the mob and asked 
them whom they sought, and when they answered that they 
sought Jesus of Nazareth, He boldly told them He was the 
man, and presented Himself to them to be taken. 



81 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

'- " 2 . What effect had these words on them ? 

They seemed to be dazed, for they had expected resistance 

or cowardly fear ; bnt the nobility of the man filled them 

As if conscience-stricken, they seemed unable 

to act. and nndertbe influence of the calm majesty of Christ 

they fell to the ground. 

57 3. What followed this acknowledgment of Christ's 
power ? 

Christ again asked them whom they songht, and His 
words aroused the leader- - iise of what they came to 

do. They immediately laid hands on Him and binding 
Him prejmred to take Him away to judgment. 

LESSON CXCI. 

Text. — -Then Simon Peter having a swrord. drew it: and 
struck the servant of the high priest : and cnt off his right ear. 
And the name of the servant was Malchus. Jesns therefore said 
to Peter : Put up thy sword into the scabbard. The chalice which 
My Father hath given Me. shall I not drink it ? Then the band, 
and the tribune, and the servants of the Jews took Jesus, and 
bound Him/' (John xviii. 10-12.) 

Reflection. — Imprudent zeal. 

574. What was the thoughtful care which Christ 
. ?ised ? 

Ue desired to protect His disciples from the crowd and 
asked that they be let go. that thus they might meet no 
danger at the hands of the mob. whose only thought was 
the arrest and punishment of their Master. 

575. What was the action of Peter when he saw the 
outrage committed ? 

IU- drew his sword and struck at Malchus. the servant of 

the high priest, who probably led the band: but Christ 

needed no material aid, as He could, if ne wished, have had 

.-f angels to protect Him against the whole army of 



CHRIST BEFORE THE HIGH TRIEST 



211 



Rome. He healed the ear of Malchus, and thus saved Peter 
from violence. 

576. What happened after this evidence of zeal on 
the part of Peter ? 

Jesus was bound as if He were a robber, and they carried 
Him away as a malefactor; while the apostles, with the 
exception of one, not daring to stand near Him, fled for 
safety lest they should be punished for resisting authority. 



Christ before the High Priest. 




Read carefully and study verses 53-64 of the Fourteenth 
Chapter of St. Mark; verses 47-75 of the Twenty-sixth Chapter 
of St. Matthew; verses 47-65 of the Twenty-second Chapter of 
St. Luke; and verses 2-27 of 'the Eighteenth Chapter of St. John. 



'21-2 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CUBIST. 



LESSON CXCII. 

Text. — "And they brought Jesus to the highprieet: and all 
the priests and the Scribes and the ancients assembled together. 
And Peter followed Him afar off even into the court of the high 
priest : and he sat with the servants at the fire, and warmed 
himself. And the chief priests and all the council sought for 
evidence against Jesus, that they might put Him to death, and 
found none." (Mark xiv. 53-55.) 

Reflection. — False accusation. 

577. Who was the high priest who exercised author- 
ity at that time ? 

Annas was regarded as the legitimate high priest, but he 
had been deposed by the Romans, and his son-in-law, Cai- 
phas, appointed by the Romans, was acting in his place. 
In the minds of the Jews there seemed to be some doubt as 
to Caiphas' authority, and hence Jesus was brought before 
Annas in the palace of Caiphas. This happened between 
one and two o'clock Friday morning. 

578. What happened after this preliminary exami- 
nation by Annas ? 

Jesns was then brought before Caiphas, who while waiting 
for the Sanhedrim or council to assemble asked many 
questions about the teaching and discipline of Christ. 
The answer of Christ was that everybody knew His teaching 
and it was easy to learn it from the people who had heard it. 
This brought a blow from an officer who stood near. 

579. What was the character cf the Sanhedrim which 
should try such cases ? 

The Sanhedrim was composed of seventy members 

selected (1) from the chief : at the head oi 

t'le twenty-four priestly classes, (2) from the Scribes, 

d in the law, and (3) from the elders or rulers, who 



CHRIST HEY HE THE HIGH PRIEST. 213 

were of great influence with the people. It was against the' 
customs of the Jews to hold a meeting at eight for capital 
offences, and it was a flagrant violation of all traditions to 
hold it at Passover. 



LESSOX CXCIII. 

Text. — "For many bore false witness against Him : and their 
evidences were not agreeing. And some rising up, bore false 
witness against Him, saving : We heard Him say : I will destroy 
This Temple made with hands, and within three days I will build 
another not made with hands. And their witness did not agree." 
(Mark xiv. 56-59. j 

Reflection. — Sin of perjury. 

580. How did the court desire to make out the case ? 

It was not with a desire for the truth, but it Mas to 
condemn Christ. They secured the prisoner and then set 
out to condemn Him without regard to anything but their 
hatred and prejudice. They determined to put Him to 
death, and sought for evidence to justify their decision. 

581. What difficulties lay in their way ? 

The spotless life of Christ, His goodness, and the correct- 
ness of His teaching made it impossible to find witnesses 
who could truthfully testify against Him. According to 
the law it was necessary to have at least two witnesses. 

582. What then did they resort to in order to con- 
demn Him ? 

They suborned many witnesses, but their testimony did 
not agree. At last they found two men who swore that 
He said things against the Temple, and as this was a 
capital offence because of the veneration for the Temple, 
it was judged sufficient. 



214 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



LESSON CXCIV. 

Text. — "And the high priest rising up in the midst, asked 
Jesus, saying: Answerest Thou nothing to the things that are 
laid to Thy charge by these men ? But He held His peace, and 
answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, and said 
to Him : Art Thou the Christ the Son of the blessed God ? And 
Jesus said to him : I am, and you shall see the Son of man sitting 
on the right hand of the power of God, and coming with the clouds 
of heaven." (Mark xiv. 60-62.) 

Reflection.— Unjust condemnation. 

583. What did the high priest do when this testi- 
mony was adduced ? 

lie advanced to the open place where Jesus stood before 
the council, and strove to force Him to speak aud criminate 
Himself; but Jesus was silent, as the contradictory evidence 
of the witnesses was sufficient refutation of the charges 
brought against Him. Even to the high priest's question 
Jesus answered nothing. 

584. What then did the high priest do ? 

Failing to get an answer to the statements of the 
witnesses, he questioned Christ directly as to His character, 
hoping that thus he might find cause for judgment. 
Putting it as a matter of oath, he asked if He were the 
Christ, the Son of the blessed God. If He confessed He 
would be condemned for blasphemy; if He denied He would 
be proved an impostor, as He had claimed to be the Christ. 



585. How did Christ meet this question ? 

As He had a mission to men, He found it necessary to 
answer it directly — for if He refused to speak it would be 
taken as a denial. He answered candidly that He was the 
Christ, and added that they would see the Son of man 
sitting on the right hand of the power of God and coming 
with the clouds of heaven. 



CHRIST BEFORE THE HIGH PRIEST. 215 



LESSON CXCV. 

Text. — "Then the high priest rending his garments, saith: 
What need we any farther witnesses ? You have heard the blas- 
phemy : what think you ? Who all condemned Him to be guilty 
of death. And some began to spit on Him, and to cover His 
face, and to buffet Him and to say unto Him: Prophesy: and the 
servants struck Him with the palms of their hands." (Mark xiv. 
63-65.) 

Eeflection. — Wickedness of the high priest. 

586. What was the high priest's action at these 
words of Christ ? 

He tore his garments in a most tragic manner to express 
his horror at what he wanted the council to regard as a 
great blasphemy, although but one witness had asserted 
that he had heard Christ say that He would "destroy the 
Temple and build it up again." No attempt was made to 
interpret its meaning, but in malicious misunderstanding 
judgment was called for. 

587. How did the council act ? 

It condemned Christ to death for what it falsely called 
His blasphemy. No examination was made, and thus it is 
apparent that none but the enemies of Christ were present 
at the meeting. 

588. Did the Sanhedrim pass sentence at that time? 

No, it did not act immediately, as it was night, and the 
Eoman law would not allow the sentence of death to be 
pronounced until dawn. Though the council settled the 
question, the members adjourned until morning, when they 
could legally condemn Jesus to death. 



216 



THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



Jesus before Pilate. 

Read carefully and study verses 1-12 of the Twenty-third 
Chapter of St. Luke; verses 1-26 of the Twenty-seventh Chapter 
of St. Matthew; verses 1-5 of the Fifteenth Chapter of St. 
Mark; verses 28-38 of the Eighteenth Chapter of St. John. 




LESSON CXCVI. 

Text. — "And when morning was come, nil the chief priests 
and ancients of the people took counsel against Jesus, that they 
might put Him to death. And they brought Him bound, and 
delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor." (Matt, xxvii. 
1,2.) 

Reflection. — Obedience to conscience. 



589. Why was Jesus sent to Pilate ? 

Because Pilate was the Roman governor, and he alone, as 



JESUS BEFORE PILATE. 217 

such, hud power to condemn to death. A short time before 
Christ's public life began the Sanhedrim had lost this power, 
and hence it became necessary not merely to prove violation 
of the Jewish law, but also treason against Caesar. 

590. Where did this hearing take place ? 

In the judgment hall of Pilate, which was probably in 
the tower of Antonia in Jerusalem, outside the northwest 
corner of the Temple area. It was held about half -past five 
Friday morning and after the Sanhedrim had judged 
Christ worthy of death. Christ had been bound again as 
a malefactor, and tradition has it that there was also a cord 
around His neck. 

591. Who was this Pontius Pilate ? 

He belonged to an ancient knightly family of Rome, and 
came to Judea about the year 26, and was in office ten 
years. The capital was in Cesarea, but during the feasts 
he was in Jerusalem to keep order. He hated the Jews,' 
and lost no opportunity of showing it in his judgments. 
But he had the old Roman respect for law, and as a judge 
acted sternly but, as he thought, justly. 

LESSON CXCVII. 

Text.— "And Jesus stood before the governor, and the gov- 
ernor asked Him, saying: Art Thou the King of the Jews ? Jesus 
saith to him: Thou sayest it. And when He was accused by the 
chief priests and ancients, He answered nothing. Then Pilate 
saith to Him: Dost not Thou hear how great testimonies they 
allege against Thee ? And He answered him to never a word, so 
that the governor wondered exceedingly." (Matt, xxvii. 11-14.) 

Reflection. — Hypocrisy of the Pharisees. 

592. Where was the first accusation made ? 

It was made outside the judgment hall, and Pilate went 
out to hear it. The Jews refused to enter within the hall, 



218 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

because their traditions made entrance to a Gentile house 
during the feast of Passover an impurity. They scrupled 
the violation of a tradition, but hesitated not to make 
false accusations against a good man. 

593. What was their accusation to Pilate ? 

They accused Christ (1) of sedition in perverting the 
nation; (2) of refusing to pay tribute to Ca?sar; (3) of 
making Himsblf a king. They said nothing of blasphemy, 
for which the Sanhedrim condemned him, because this 
would have no influence with the Roman governor. 

594. What followed these accusations ? 

Pilate questioned Christ privately as he entered the hall 
where Christ was with the guards, for he had not heard the 
accusations. Pilate ignored the first two accusations and 
questioned about the third, asking Christ if He was the 
King of the Jews; and Christ answered, strongly and firmly, 
44 Thou say est it." 

LESSON CXCV1IL 

Text. — " And Pilate said to the chief priests and to the multi- 
tudes : I find no cause in this man. But they were more earnest, 
saying: He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, 
beginning from Galilee to this place. But Pilate hearing Galilee, 
asked if the man were of Galilee. And when he understood that 
He was of Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him away to Herod, who 
was also himself at Jerusalem in those days." (Luke xxiii. 4-7.) 

Reflection.— Weakness of Pilate. 

595. What was Pilate's judgment? 

Lie went out of the hall to the spot where the Jewish 
leaders were, and declared to them that he found no grounds 
for a sentence of death in the accusation against Christ. But 
when he heard the angry Jews mention Galilee he thought 
of llerod, who had jurisdiction in Galilee, and, although 



JESUS BEFORE PILATE. 219 

lie found Christ guiltless, yet he sent Him as a malefactor 
to lie rod, whom he despised with all the other Galileans. 
He hoped thus to secure the acquittal of Christ. 

596. How did Herod receive Christ ? 

With great joy, for he hoped to induce Him to perform 
some miracles, for he had heard such wonderful things 
about Him. This was Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee, 
the adulterer who had murdered John the Baptist. He was 
a Jew by religion, and was in Jerusalem attending the 
Passover. His capital was in Tiberias, on the Sea of 
Galilee. 

597. How did Jesus answer his many demands? 

By absolute silence even in the presence of the violent 
accusations of the chief priests, who used every means to 
prejudice Herod against Him. This silence irritated Herod 
so that he mocked and ridiculed Him, sending Him clothed 
as a king to Pilate. 

LESSON CXCIX. 

Text.—" And Herod seeing Jesus, was very glad ; for he 
was desirous of a long time to see Him, because he had heard 
many things of Him, and he hoped to see some sign wrought 
by Him. And He questioned Him in many words. But He 
answered him nothing. And the chief priests and the Scribes 
stood by earnestly accusing Him. And Herod with his army 
set Him at naught : and mocked Him, putting on Him a white 
garment, and sent Him back to Pilate And Herod and Pilate 
were made friends that same day : for before they were enemies 
one to another." (Luke xxiii. 8-12.) 

Reflection. —Herod's deceit. 

598. What was the result of Pilate's action? 

Herod and he, who had been at enmity for many years, 
were made friends by this act. They had quarrelled over 
the matter of jurisdiction, and the sending back and forth 
of so important a prisoner settled all their differences. 



220 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

599. Why was Christ silent in the presence of 
Herod ? 

Because He despised the man on account of his wicked 
life. Pilate was a pagan, but Herod was a Jew who lived 
in public sin, and because of it had murdered the great 
prophet, John the Baptist. He also knew it was useless 
to say or do anything on this occasion, for Herod was op- 
posed to Him and His teaching, and to perform a miracle 
would be to gratify an idle and morbid curiosity. 

600. What is to be remarked in these trials? 

The absolute injustice towards the accused, whose case 
was not tried at all, as it seemed to be taken for granted 
that He was guilty anyway, and nothing that He could say 
would benefit Him. The calm dignity of Christ is in 
marked contrast with the hatred of His accusers and the 
unfairness of His judges. 

Jesus Condemned to Death. 

Rial carefully and study verses 13-25 of the Twenty-third 
Chapter of 8b. Luke; verses 15-30 of the Twenty-seventh Chap- 
ter of St. Matthew; verses 6-19 of the Fifteenth Chapter of St. 
Mark; roses 39 40 of the Eighteenth and verses 1-1 G of the 
Nineteenth Chapter of St. John. 

LESSON CC. 

Text. — " And Pilate calling together the chief priests, and the 
magistrates, and the people, s;iid to them: You have presented 
unto me this man, as one that perverteth the people, and behold 
1 having examined Him before you, find no cause in this man 
in those things wherein you accuse Him. No, nor Herod neither: 
for 1 sent you to him. and behold, nothing worthy of death is 
done to Him. T will chastise Him therefore and release Him." 
(Luke xxiii. 13-16.) 

Reflection — Wicked judgment. 

601. What was Pilate's feeling towards Jesus? 

lie felt that lie was unjustly accused and he made 



JESUS CONDEMNED TO DEATH. 



221 



another effort to release Him ; yet lie was afraid to acquit 
Him without consulting with the leaders of the Sanhedrim 
who had declared Him worthy of death. He feared their 
opposition, and yet he wished to avoid condemning an 
innocent man. 




602. What did Pilate do to save Jesus? 

He went out of the hall to talk with the Jews who still 
remained outside, and for the first time he consulted with 
the people as well as the priests, for he thought that per- 
haps the people would defend Christ, or demand His release 
in view of what Christ had done for them hy His teachings 
and His miracles. 

603. What was Pilate's answer to the charges made 
against Jesus ? 

He told the priests and people that he had carefully 
examined the accusation of sedition, and that neither he 



222 THE PUBLIC LIFE OH CHRIST. 

nor Herod bad been able to find any proof of the cbarge, 
and consequently, as an innocent man, He should be dis- 
missed from custody. 



LESSON CCI. 

Text. — "Now of necessity be was to release unto them one 
upon the feast-day. But the whole multitude together cried out, 
saying: Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas, who 
for a certain sedition made in the city and for a murder, was cast 
into prison." (Luke xxiii. 17-19.) 

Reflection*. — Choice of Barabbas. 

604. What was the compromise which Pilate offered ? 

That Jesus should be scourged and sent away. Scourg- 
ing was a part of the punishment of crucifixion, but Pilate 
suggested it not as a part, but as a substitute, which he 
thought might placate the Jews and thus save Jesus from 
death. Scourging among the Romans Avas very severe, the 
whips being armed with bones or lead, so as to tear the 
flesh. 

605. What should Pilate have done? 

He should have done what justice demanded, and that 
was that an innocent man be set free. He was im- 
pressed by the mildness of Christ, and besides his wife had 
counselled him to have nothing to do with Him, as she had 
been troubled about it in her dreams. But his past actions 
had incensed the Jews against him, and he feared to further 
provoke them. 

606. What was the custom of release to which he 
referred ? 

It was the custom for the Roman governor at the feast 
of the Passover to pardon one criminal condemned to death, 
and thus placate the populace, and show some recognition 



JESUS CONDEMNED TO DEATH. 223 

of the great feast which commemorated the deliverance of 
the Jews from the bondage of Egypt. 



LESSON CCII. 

Text. — "And Pilate again spoke to them, desiring to release 
Jesus. But they cried again, saying: Crucify Him, crucify Him. 
And he said to them the third time : Why, what evil hath this 
man done ? I find no cause of death in Him : I will chastise Him 
therefore, and let Him go." (Luke xxiii. 20-22 ) 

Reflection. — Pilate's failure to do justice. 

607. Who was this Barabbas, and why was he 
chosen ? 

He was a prominent figure in the outbreaks against 
Roman cruelty, and led an insurrection in which murder 
and robbery were committed. It was instigated by Pilate's 
action in taking sacred money for the construction of 
aqueducts. Revolt against this action made Barabbas a 
favorite with the populace, who preferred him to Christ. 

608. How did Pilate regard this choice? 

He was astonished, as he felt confident that Christ would 
be chosen in preference to a vile murderer, and again he 
asserted the innocence of Christ, demanding that they show 
what evil He had done. But the cries of the chief priests 
excited the mob, hence the multitude would have no one 
released but Barabbas. 

609. What did Pilate do before the final decision ? 

He took water and washed his hands before the people, 
that he might thus proclaim that his hands were innocent 
of the blood of Christ, as if any act of his could free him 
from the guilt of condemning a man whom he declared 
innocent, lie could not put it upon the Jews, no matter 
how willing they were to accept it. 



224 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CUlilST. 



LESSOX CCIII. 

Text. — " Aud Pilate gave sentence that it should be as the)'' 
required. And he released unto them him who for murder and 
sedition had been cast into prison, whom they had desired, but 
Jesus he delivered up to their will." (Luke xxiii. 24, 25.) 

Reflection.— The denial of God. 

610. Where and when did Pilate declare sentence ? 
After ascending what was known as the judgment-seat, 

outside the pretoriuin, in the place called the Pavement, 

yielding to the demands of the mob. Pilate solemnly de- 
livered the final decree, passing Christ over to His execu- 
tioners. This took place between six and seven o'clock, 
Friday morning. 

611. What happened after the sentence ? 

After Pilate bad given the sentence, Christ was Landed 
over to the soldiers, who heaped insults upon Him, 
placing upon His head a crown of thorns which was ex- 
ceedingly painful, as it was woven of a plant with small 
sharp spines. He was then clothed with a purple robe, 
in mockery of His claim to be considered a king, and was 
reviled and taunted by the soldiers, who beat and bruised 
Him, subjecting Him to all sorts of indignities. 

612. What was Pilate's last act ? 

Thinking that the sight of this innocent man suffering 
and bleeding might satisfy their hate, Pilate presented 
Christ to the populace, saying: " Behold your King." But 
they cried: "We have no king but Caesar," thus attesting 
their loyalty to the empire and showing the fulfilment of 
the prophecy that the kingly power had departed from 
Jndea. Christ was then handed over to the soldiers for 
crucifixion. 



THE CRUCIFIXION. 



225 



The Crucifixion. 

Read carefully and study verses 20-47 of the Fifteenth Chapter 
of St. Mark; verses 31-66 of the Twenty -seventh Chapter of St. 
Matthew ; verses 25-56 of the Twenty-third Chapter of St. Luke ; 
verses 16-42 of the Nineteenth Chapter of St. John. 




LESSON CCIV. 

Text.— "And as they led Him away, they laid hold of one 
Simon of Cyrene coming from the country: and they laid the 
cross on him to carry after Jesus. And there followed Him a 
great multitude of people, and of women: who bewailed and 
lamented Him. But Jesus turning to them, said: Daughters of 
Jerusalem, weep not over Me, but weep for yourselves, and for 
your children." (Luke xxiii. 26-28.) 

Reflection. — Weep for sin. 

613. What was the nature of the procession as it 
left Pilate's house ? 

In advance was a soldier bearing a white wooden board 



226 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

marking tlie character of the crime alleged. Then came 
four soldiers in charge of a centurion guarding Jesus as He 
bore the cross on His shoulders. After Him came the two 
robbers who were ordered to be crucified with Him, and 
each had a guard of four soldiers. All that was necessary 
for the crucifixion was brought by the soldiers. 

614. Who were the women whom Jesus met on the 
way ? 

They were good, pious women of Jerusalem who, at- 
tracted by the crowd, followed in the throng, and were 
afflicted by the sight of the good man suffering. Perhaps 
among them were some whose children had been blessed 
by Him. He bade them weep for sin and for those who 
were crucifying Him. 

015. Who was Simon, and why was he called upon 
to help in the crucifixion ? 

He was from Cyrene, a Jew of northern Africa, and was 
forced by the soldiers to help Christ when He fell under 
the weight of His heavy cross. He afterwards became a 
Christian and preached the Gospel in Spain, and, with his 
two sons, Eufus and Alexander, did much for the Church 
of the Saviour whose cross he bore, although at the time 
he felt this enforced action a disgrace. 

LESSON CCV. 

Text. — " And there were also two other malefactors led with 
Him to be put to death. And when they were come to the place 
which is called Calvary, they crucified Him there: and the rob- 
bers, one on the right hand, and the other on the left." (Luke 
xxiii. 52, 33.) 

Reflection.— Ignominy of the cross. 

616. Where was Calvary, and what did its name 
signify ? 

Calvary was a knoll outside the north wall of the city, 



THE CllUCIFIXION. 227 

about one hundred yards distant, on a thoroughfare leading 
to the country. It was known as the Place of the Skull, 
because of its peculiar round top. It was known to the 
Jews as Golgotha, or Hill of Death, and this in Latin was 
Calvaria. 

617. When they arrived there what happened ? 

Jesus was stripped of His clothes, His arms stretched 
upon the cross-beam and His hands nailed to the wood. 
His feet were pierced with nails, and the cross with its 
bleeding Victim raised from the ground and planted in the 
hole made for it. 

618. What was given to Jesus to soothe His suffer- 
ing ? 

They gave Him a draught of strong wine mixed with a 
powerful narcotic of myrrh, so as to stupefy Him and 
deaden all consciousness. But Jesus simply tasted it and 
then refused to drink, as He wished that the sacrifice should 
be complete even in the suffering which He endured. 



LESSON CCVI. 

Text. — u And the people stood beholding, and the rulers with 
them derided Him, saying: He saved others, let Him save Him- 
self, if He be Christ, the elect of God. And the soldiers also 
mocked Him, coming to Him, and offering Him vinegar, and 
saying: If Thou be the King of the Jews, save Thyself." (Luke 
xxiii. 35-37.) 

Reflection.— Mockery of Christ. 

619. What was done with the two thieves? 

They were also stripped and crucified, and their crosses 
raised on either side of that of Christ; and thus was ful- 
filled the prophecy found in Isaias liii. 12 that He was 
reputed among the wicked. Dismas is said to have been 



228 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

the name of the one on His right, and Gesmas the one on 
His left. 

620. What were the Jews doing while Jesus hung 
on the cross ? 

They were casting lots for His garments. His outer 
garment, the girdle, and the sandals were not so valuable, 
but the seamless woven inner garment was the one that 
they played for, while they mocked and ridiculed Him with 
most terrible blasphemy. 

621. What was the burden of the utterances of 
Jesus on the cross ? 

He prayed to His Father to forgive His executioners 
because of their ignorance. He confided the care of His 
mother to St. John, pardoned the penitent thief, gave ex- 
pression to the agony He suffered in His thirst and aban- 
donment, and commended His soul to His Father. 

LESSON CCVII. 

Text. —"And one of those robbers who were hanged, blas- 
phemed Him, saying : If Thou be Christ, save Thyself, and us. 
But the other answering, rebuked him, saying : Neither dost 
thou fear God, seeing thou art under the same condemnation ? 
And he said to Jesus : Lord, remember me when Thou shalt come 
into Thy kingdom. And Jesus said to him : Amen I say to thee, 
this day thou shalt be with Me in paradise. And Jesus crying 
with a loud voice, said : Father, into Thy hands I commend My 
spirit. And saying this, He gave up the ghost.' 1 (Luke xxiii. 
39, 40, 42, 43, 46.) 

Reflection. — The pardon to repentance. 

622. What was the effect on creation? 

A darkness came over the land for three hours, as if to 
show the success of the powers of darkness over Christ and 
to express the revulsion of nature against man's ingratitude 
to God, and his blasphemous act against the Redeemer. 



THE RESURRECTION. 229 

The veil of the Temj)le hanging between the holy place 
and the Holy of holies was rent in two, thus showing that 
the way to the holy place was now open for all men. 

623. What effect had all this on the bystanders ? 

It produced a great impression upon all, and especially 
upon the centurion, or the officer who had charge of the 
soldiers. He exclaimed that this was indeed the Son of 
God, and lie became a Christian, while many fled at wit- 
nessing the exhibition of nature in the darkness and the 
earthquake. Quite a number confessed their belief in Him. 

624. What was the last act in this divine tragedy ? 

Accepting the will of His heavenly Father, Jesus felt 
the sweet influence of the paternal love. He resigned His 
soul into His Father's hands; exclaiming that all was 
consummated He gave up His spirit and the redemption 
was accomplished. 

THE DAYS OF TRIUMPH. 

The Resurrection. 

Read carefully and study verses 1-12 of the Twenty-fourth 
Chapter of St. Luke ; verses 1-15 of the Twenty-eighth Chapter of 
St. Matthew ; verses 1-11 of the Sixteenth Chapter of St. Mark; 
verses 1-16 of the Twentieth Chapter of St. John. 

LESSON CCVIII. 

Text. — "And on the first day of the week very early in the 
morning they came to the sepulchre, bringing the spices which 
they had prepared : and they found the stone rolled back from 
the sepulchre. And going in, they found not the body of the 
Lord Jesus.'" (Luke xxiv. 1-3.) 

Reflection. —The power of Christ. 

625. What did the soldiers do to the body of the 
dead Christ ? 

One of them pierced His side with a lance and from it 



230 



THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



came blood and water. This wound was to give to St. 
Thomas the visible proof that Christ was really risen from 
the dead, It was customary to break the bones of the 
crucified, but as Christ was dead the soldiers omitted this, 
and satisfied themselves with the piercing of the side. 




626. What did the disciples do ? 

They got permission from Pilate to take the body from 
the cross and place it in the sepulchre which belonged to 
Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy and prominent member 
of the Sanhedrim. But the Jews insisted that the sepul- 
chre be sealed up, and a guard placed about it so as to 
prevent deception in the fulfilment of the Kesurrection 
promis3. 

627. What had Christ foretold? 

lie had constantly and publicly said that on the third 
day He would rise again, and that His Resurrection was to 



THE RESURRECTION. 231 

be the proof of His divinity, and the establishment of the 
truth of His mission. That the Jews so understood it is 
evident from the demands for a seal and a guard. 



LESSON CCIX. 

Text. — "And it came to pass, as they were astonished in their 
mind at this, behold two men stood by them in shining apparel. 
And as they were afraid and bowed down their countenance 
towards the ground, they said unto them : Why seek you the 
living with the dead ? He is not here, but is risen : remember 
how He spoke unto you, when He was yet in Galilee." (Luke 
xxiv. 4-6.) 

Reflection. — The risen Saviour. 

628. How long was Christ in the tomb ? 

He was three days in the tomb, or at least a part of 
three days: Friday afternoon, the whole of Saturday, and 
part of Sunday, which began at sunset Saturday evening. 
The Jews counted the parts of a day as a whole day. All 
Jerusalem w r as anxious, and especially the disciples and 
those who believed in Christ, as well as the high priests, 
for they remembered the prophecy of the Eesurrection. 

629. What happened on Easter morning ? 
Something like an earthquake shook the earth, and an 

angel of bright countenance rolled away the great stone, 
and thus exposed to view the empty sepulchre. Christ 
was risen, as He had said, and went to Galilee, and thus the 
prophecies were fulfilled, and Christ's divine nature was 
manifested to men. 

630. What became of the guards ? 

They were frightened at the sight and fled in terror to 
Jerusalem to tell the high priests and the Roman officials 
what had happened. The chief priests, to continue their 



232 TEE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

fraud, bade them say that while they slept the disciples of 
Jesus came and took His body away. This made them 
poor witnesses of what they confessed not to have seen. 



The Women of the Resurrection. 

Read carefully and study verses 7-12 of the Twenty-fourtli 
Chapter of St. Luke; verses 1-11 of the Sixteenth Chapter of St. 
Mark; and verses 11-18 of the Twentieth Chapter of St. John. 



LESSON CCX. 

Text. — " Saying : The Son of man must be delivered into the 
hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise 
again. And they remembered His words. And goiug back from 
the sepulchre, they told all these things to the eleven, and to all 
the rest," (Luke xxiv. 7-9.) 

Reflection.— Joy of the Resurrection. 

631. How did the information about the Resur- 
rection reach the disciples ? 

The holy women, who were watching for the morning, 
went with fear and trembling to the sepulchre, that they 
might anoint the body of Jesus, according to the custom 
which prevailed among the Jews; but they were afraid that 
the stone at the door of the tomb could not be removed. 
They were astonished when they saw the sepulchre open, 
and a young man in white seated therein. To their anx- 
ious inquiries he answered by reminding them of Christ's 
promise, and told them of its fulfilment. 

632. What did the holy women then do ? 

Mary Magdalen told Peter and John and the other 
apostles what they saw, but the story was received as an idle 
tale, or a woman's vision. This assures us that the apostles 



THE WOMEN OF 7IJE liESVUEECTJON 



233 



could not easily be deluded or deceived. They demanded 
substantial proof of Christ's Resurrection before they 
would believe it. They did not at that time fully under- 




stand Christ or the prophecies concerning Him, and hence 
were slow to believe what they did not see. 

633. What did they do to satisfy themselves ? 

As soon as they heard the story of the Resurrection from 
the holy women, Peter and John went in great haste to 
the tomb and investigated for themselves, and when they 
satisfied themselves as to the truth of the story they 
returned to assure the rest of the apostles that Christ was 
truly risen. They had examined the place, and were 
certain that Christ had risen as He had promised. They 
realized that later on they would more fully understand 
what had happened. 



234 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



LESSON CCXI. 

Text. — "And it was Mary Magdalen, and Joanna, and Mary 
of James, and the other women that were with them, who told 
these things to the apostles. And these words seemed to them 
as idle tales : and they did not believe them. But Peter rising 
up ran to the supulchre : and stooping down he saw the linen 
cloths laid by themselves, and went away wondering in himself 
at that which was come to pass." (Luke xxiv. 10-12.) 

^Reflection. — The truth of Christ. 

634. How often did Christ appear to His disciples 
and followers ? 

At least eleven times: first to Mary Magdalen, then to 
the holy women, then to Peter, and afterwards several 
times to the apostles and the people, thus assuring them 
that He was truly risen from the dead and was the true 
Messias as claimed. They were all ready to die for this 
belief in the Resurrection. 

635. Where do you find a good proof of the Resur- 
rection ? 

One proof may be found in the belief of the apostles, 
who had nothing to gain by deceit, especially when they 
had to die for their belief. Were Jesus not risen, then 
they were called to maintain the religion of an impostor. 
That weak, cowardly men would lend themselves to an im- 
posture is not to be believed when you consider that eleven 
of them preached the Resurrection and died in vindication 
of it. 

636. What may be offered as another proof? 

Another proof may be found in the fact that the pagan 
world became Christian and the religion of Christ became 
the doctrine of the world, in spite of the fact that it appealed 
to self-denial and not to indulgence, and also that it antag- 
onized the world's maxims and man's inclinations. What 
pagan philosophy could not do in converting the world 
to its theories Christian faith did, as we see from history. 



THE RISEN CHRIST WITH HIS APOSTLES. 235 

The Risen Christ with His Apostles. 

Read carefully and study verses 13-53 of the Twenty -fourth 
Chapter of St. Luke; verses 19-31 of the Twentieth Chapter 
and verses 1-25 of the Twenty-first Chapter of St. John ; verses 
16-20 of the Twenty-eighth Chapter of St. Matthew. 




LESSON CCXII. 

Text. — " And after eight days, again His disciples were within: 
and Thomas with them. Jesns cometh the doors being shut, and 
stood in the midst, and said : Peace be to you. Then He saith 
to Thomas : Put in thy finger hither, and see My hands, and 
bring hither thy hand, and put it into My side : and be not 
faithless, but believing. Thomas answered, aud said to Him : 
my Lord, and my God." (John xx. 26-28.) 

Keflection. — Faith knows no doubt. 

637. How long did Christ remain with the apostles? 
He remained about forty days, during which He spoke 



236 THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 

to them of the kingdom which He had come to establish. 
He explained His Gospel more fully to them, so that they 
might be able to preach it intelligently, and thus build the 
Church of God in the hearts of men. He spoke to them 
of the mission which they were to receive. 

638. What authority did He give to them ? 

He ga^e to them authority over the whole world that 
they might do as He had done and share His power with 
Him. They had been constituted priests of His sacrifice, 
and were to offer for all time and in all places the holy 
sacrifice of His body and blood. 

639. What was the teaching power which they were 
to possess ? 

It was a power to preach the Gospel of Christ to every 
creature, to evangelize the world and to convert the world 
to God. They were to teach what He taught them, and 
also such development of that teaching as the Holy Spirit 
of God would dictate, whom He was to send to them at 
Pentecost. 



Primacy of St. Peter. 

Read carefully and study verses 15-24 of the Twenty-first 
Chapter of St. John; verses 18-20 of the Ninth Chapter of St. 
Luke ; verses 27-29 of the Eighth Chapter of St. Mark. 

LESSON CCXIII. 

Text. — " Going therefore teach ye all nations : baptizing them 
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost : 
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded 
you : and behold I am with you all days, even to the consumma- 
tion of the world." (Matt, xxviii. 19, 20.) 

Reflection.— Commission of the Church. 

640. What was to be the sign of His faithful people ? 
They were to believe and be baptized and thus enter His 



PRIMACY OF ST. PETER. 



237 



Church, which as the pillar and ground of truth was to 
show man true religion, and by its sacraments bring Christ's 
life into theirs, and thus save their souls. 




641. What was the power of the keys ? 

It was the fulfilment of the promise made to the apostles 
when He told them that all power was His and that He would 
share that power with them, for He said to Peter: " I will 
give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.'"' This 
power of binding and loosing, of forgiving sin and retain- 
ing it, Christ gave to them after the Eesurrection, when He 
said : " Whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven them." 



642. Is all that Christ did and said written in the 
gospels ? 

By no means, as we may see in St. John xxi. 25, where 
he says: "But there are also many other things which 
Jesus did; which, if they were written every one, the 



238 



THE PUBLIC LIFE OF CHRIST. 



world itself, I think, would not be able to contain the 
books that should be written.'' The apostles were to make 
known all that they heard, and thus the world was to know 
the truth. 

643. What authority did Christ give to Peter ? 

He gave the primacy to Peter, as we see in St. John xxi. 
15-24, thus constituting him the prince of the apostolic 
college and the visible head of His Church. Peter was 
made the shepherd of the whole flock of Jesus Christ, of 
both lambs and sheep, and hence he was to be the infallible 
teacher in faith and morals, with supreme authority in the 
Church. All this was to pass to his successors, that thus 
the Church would always be to men as Christ Himself. 

The Ascension. 




Read verses 6-9 of the First Chapter of the Acts of the Apos- 
tles ; also verses 50-53 of the Twenty-fourth Chapter of St. Luke, 



THE ASCENSION. 239 



LESSON CCXIV. 

Text. — " And He led them out as far as Bethania : and lifting 
up His hands He blessed them. And it came to pass, whilst He 
blessed them, He departed from them, and was carried up to 
heaven. And they adoring went back into Jerusalem with great 
joy : and they were always in the Temple praising and blessing 
God. Amen." (Luke xxiv. 50-53.) 

Reflection. — Heaven our home. 

644. "When did Christ ascend into heaven? 

Christ ascended into heaven forty days after the Resur- 
rection, after He had established His Church and instituted 
the sacraments, and taught His doctrines fully to the 
apostles. 

645. "Where did the Ascension take place ? 

It took place at Mount Olivet, to which Christ and His 
apostles came by way of Bethany. He ascended from the 
middle summit of the mount and within view of Jerusalem. 
Little by little the sacred body of Christ ascended, until it 
was lost to sight. The Ascension is said to have occurred 
about noon. 

646. What became of the apostles after the Ascen- 
sion ? 

They returned to Jerusalem with great joy, to await the 
fulfilment of Christ's last promise that He would send the 
Holy Ghost to teach them all truth, and abide with them 
forever. 



"Many other signs also did Jesus in the sight of His dis- 
ciples, which are not written in this look. But these arc 
written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the 
Son of God : and that believing you may have life in His 
n r ime." — St. John xx. 30, 31. 



BIBLE DICTIONAKY. 

A LIST OF BIBLICAL AND OTHER NAMES CONTAINED 
IN "NEW TESTAMENT STUDIES," WITH THEIR PRO- 
NUNCIATION AND DEFINITION. 



Aaron (ar'on), enlightened. The first high priest of the Jews, 

brother of Moses and Miriam. 
Abia (a-bi'a), my father is God. Descendant of Eleazar and 

chief of the eighth course in the divisions of the priests. 
Alexandria (al'ex-an'dri-a). The Grecian capital of Egypt, 

founded by Alexander the Great, B.C. 332. 
Allen, Cardinal (al'lSn). A noted English cardinal who founded 

the English College at Douay in France in 1574. 
Andrew (an'dru), manly. One of the twelve apostles and the 

brother of Peter. 
Angel (an'jel). One of God's messengers. 
Anna (an'na), grace. A prophetess who was in the Temple when 

Christ was presented to the Lord, by His parents. 
Annas (an'nas). Father-in-law to Caiphas, and at one time a 

high priest. 
Antioch. (an'ti-ok). The capital of Syria, and the official resi- 
dence of the Roman governors, on the Orontes River and 

near the Lebanon Range. 
Antonia (an-to'ni-a). A castle built by Herod, near the Temple 

of Jerusalem, and named after his friend Anthony. 
Apocalypse (a-pok'a-lypse), revelation. The last book of the 

New Testament, and written by St. John as Revelations. 
Arabia (a-ra'bi-a), arid. A large peninsula in the southwestern 

part of Asia between the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and 

the Persian gulf. 
Aramaic (ar'a-ma'ik). Name applied to the northern branch of 

the Semitic languages, including Syriac and Chaldaic. 
241 



2±2 BIBLE DICTIONARY. 

Archelaus (ar'ke-la'us), ruler of the people. Son of Herod the 

Great. 
Arimathea (ar'i ma-the'a), heights. A town in Judea, the home 

of Joseph who begged the body of Christ for burial. 
Arimathea, Joseph of. A wealthy citizen, a member of the San- 
hedrim, who became a disciple of Christ. 
Ascalon (as'ka-lon). A seaport town ten miles north of Gaza. 

It was famous during the Crusades. 
Ascension (as-sen'shun). The event which commemorates Christ's 

ascending into heaven in the presence of His apostles. 
Aser (a'ser). One of the twelve tribes of Israel, occupying the 

western portion of Galilee. 
Assyrians (assvr'i-ans). The people of Assyria, a great empire 

of western Asia, now known as Kurdistan. 
Athanasius (ath'a-na'zhi-us), immortal. One of the Greek 

Fathers of the Church, A.D. 296-373. 
Augustine, St. (aw-giis'tin or aw'giis-ten), imperial. Bishop of 

Hippo in Africa, a doctor of the Church, a.d. 354-430. 
Azymes (az'ims), unleavened. The feast of the unleavened bread 

among the Jews. 
Babylonia (bftb'y-lo'ni-a), babel = "confusion" or "gate of God." 

The country of which Babylon was the capital, located in 

■western Asia. 
Baltimore, Council of. The council here referred to was held 

in Baltimore in 1884. 
Barabbas (bar-ab'bas), son of Abba. A noted criminal, chosen 

by the Jews in preference to Christ. 
Bartholomew (bar-thol'o-mew), a warlike son. One of the 

apostles, and thought to be Nathanael. 
Benedict XIV. (ben'e-dikt), blessed. A Roman Pontiff, a.d. 

1675-1758. 
Bethabara (b8th-ab'a-ra), house of the ford. Supposed to be on 

the side east of the Jordan, between the Dead Sea and the Sea 

of Galilee. It is thought that Jesus was baptized at this ford. 
Bethany (b6th'a-ny), house of dates. A village on the eastern 

slope of Mount Olivet. 
Bethphage (bet h'faj), house of green figs. A town near Bethany. 
Caesar (ce'sar). A name applied to the Roman emperors. 
Caesar Augustus. Emperor of Rome from 27 B.C. to 14 a.d. 
Caiphas (ka'i-fas), dejn'ession. The high priest at the time of 

the crucifixion. He was the son-in-law of Annas. 



BIBLE DICTIONARY. 243 

Calvary (kal'va-ry), skull. The place where Our Lord was cruci- 
fied, so called from its conical shape. 

Cana (ka'na). A village in Galilee four or five miles northeast 
of Nazareth. 

Canon (kan'on). A rule or measure. Here it applies to the collec- 
tion of sacred books. 

Capharnaum (ka-phar'na-iim). A town in Galilee on the north- 
western shore of the lake. 

Caspar (kas'par). According to Venerable Bede, this was the 
name of one of the Magi. 

Cephas (ce'fas), rock. A Syriac name given to Simon Peter by 
Christ. In Latin it was Petra, or rock. 

Cesarea (cSs'a-re'a). The chief Roman city of Palestine in New 
Testament times. It was on the Mediterranean. 

Cesarea Philippi (ceVa-re'a phl-lip'pi) . A town at the base of 
Mount Hermon, where Peter made his great profession. 

Chaldaic (kal-da'ik). The language of the people of Chaldea. 

Challoner, Rev. Richard (chaHon-er). An English priest and 
writer, who annotated the Douay Bible in 1758. 

Cherubim (chSr'u-bim). AVinged figures used on the mercy-seat 
of the Ark in the Temple. 

Chusa (ku'-za), a seer. The steward of Herod Antipas. His 
wife, Joanna, was one of the women who ministered to 
Christ. 

Clement of Rome, St. (klSm'Snt). Third successor of St. Peter 
as Pope, about a.d. 96. 

Cleophas (kle'o-fas), very renowned. Supposed to be the same 
as Alpheus. 

Cubit (ku'bit). A measure of length among the Jews, the dis- 
tance from the elbow to the extremity of the middle finger, 
or about eighteen inches. 

Cyprian, St. (sip'ri-an), of Cyprus. A Latin Father, bishop of 
Carthage, a.d. 200-258. 

Cyrene, Simon of (cy-re'ne). The man who was forced to carry 
Christ's cross to Calvary. 

Damasus, St. (dam'as-us). A Roman Pontiff who induced St. 
Jerome to translate the Bible. 

David (da'vid), well beloved. The greatest of all the kings who 
ruled Israel. He was born B.C. 1085 and ruled for forty 
years, from 1050 until 1010 b.c 



244 BIBLE DICTIONARY. 

Decapolis (dg-cap'o-lis), ten cities. A portion of Palestine maiuly 
on the east side of the Jordan ; it contained ten cities. 

Deutero-canonical (deu'ter-o-kan-on'i-cal), second canon. Those 
books of the Bible about which some in the Church enter- 
tained doubts, before the General Council gave a decision. 

Deuteronomy (deu't8r-on'o-my), the second law. The fifth book 
of the Bible and the last of the Pentateuch. 

Dismas (dis'mas). Supposed to be the name of the penitent thief. 

Dives (dl'ves). The rich man whom Christ spoke of in the parable. 

Dominic, St. (dom'i-nik). The founder of the Order of Preachers 
known as Dominicans, 1170-1221. 

Douay (ddb'a). A town in the north of France where an Eng- 
lish translation of the Old Testament was published in 1G10. 

Edomite (edom-Ite), red. The inhabitants of Edom or Idumea, 
which was given as a birthright to Esau. 

Egypt (e'jypt). The valley of the Nile in the northeastern part 
of Africa, the most famous country in ancient history. 

Egyptian (e'jyp'shiin). Natives of Egypt or pertaining to Egypt. 

Elders (eTders). A term used to designate the heads of tribes, 
or a tribunal chosen from the older people. 

Elias (6-li'as) or Elijah, Jehovah is my God. One of the great 
prophets of the Old Testament. 

Elizabeth (e-liz'a-bSth), God the oath. The wife of Zachary and 
mother of St. John the Baptist. 

Emmanuel (Sin-man' u-81), God with us. One of the titles of Our 
Lord. 

Ephesus (Sph'e-siis). An important city of Asia Minor. 

Esdrelon (es-dre'lon). The great plain of Galilee. 

Eucharist (yu'ka-rist), the giving of thanks. The Sacrament of 
the body and blood of Christ. 

Eugenius IV (yu-je'ni-us). A Koman Pontiff, 1383-1447. 

Evangelist (e-van'je-list), messenger of good tidings. A term 
applied to those who wrote the gospels. 

Exegesis (Sks'e-je'sis). A critical explanation of the text of 
Scripture. 

Florence, Council of (flor'ens). One of the great councils of the 
Church held in Florence, Italy, 1447. 

Gabriel (ga'bri-el), man of God. Called the Angel of the Incar- 
nation because he was specially charged with the message to 
Zachary and to the Blessed Virgin. 



BIBLE DICTIONARY. 245 

Galilee (gal'i-le). The most northern of the provinces of Pales- 
tine at the time of Christ. 
Galilee, Sea of. Named from the province of Galilee, twelve or 

fourteen miles long and six or seven miles wide. 
Garizim (jar'i-zirn). A mountain in Ephrem near Sichem, from 

which blessings were pronounced. It was the site of the first 

Samaritan temple. 
Genesareth (je-nes'a-r8th). Same as the Sea of Galilee. 
Genesis (jen'e-s~s), origin. The first book of the Old Testament, 

so called because it is the history of creation. 
Gentile (jen'tlle). Name given by the Jews to all who did not 

know the true God. 
Gentiles, Court of the. The outer court of the Temple, where the 

uncircumcised could stand. 
Gesmas (ges'mas). This is thought to be the name of the impeni- 
tent thief. 
Gethsemani (ge^h-sSm'a-nl), oil-press. A garden across the 

brook of Cedron, at the foot of Mount Olivet, where Christ 

had His agony. 
Golgotha (gol'go-tha), skull. The Hebrew name of the place 

where Christ was crucified. 
Greek (grek). The language of the people of Greece. 
Gregory the Great, St. (grgg'o-ry). One of the great Popes 

who ruled the Church. 
Hattin, Horns of (hat'tin). So called because of the small cones 

on the ridge, which took its name from the village of Hattin 

near its base. 
Hebrews (he'brews), descendants of Heber. Name given to all 

the descendants of Jacob. They w r ere called Israelites and 

also Jews. 
Hebron (he'bron), friendship. An ancient town in Palestine, 

about twenty miles south of Jerusalem. 
Heli (he'll), elevation. The father of St. Joseph. 
Hermon, Mount (her'mon), holy, or "the snowy top." A high 

southern part of the mountains of Anti-Libanus, north of the 

Sea of Galilee. 
Herod Antipater (an-tip'a-ter). Son of Herod the Great. After 

his father's death he ruled the tetrarchy of Galilee and Perea. 
Herod the Great (heYod). Second son of Antipater, the tyrant 

who massacred the Innocents. He was king of Judea B.C. 40. 



216 BIBLE DICTIONARY. 

Hillel (hil'151), praise. This is thought to be the name of one of 

the doctors with whom Christ disputed in the Temple. 
Hinnom (hin'nom). A valley to the south and west of Jerusalem. 

The term Gehenna (Ge Hinnom), hell, comes from this valley. 
Hippo (hip'po). A city in Africa, of which St. Augustine was 

bishop. 
Holy of holies. The most sacred place in the Temple, where 

the Ark was placed. 
Holy Place. This was outside the Holy of holies and separated 

from it by the veil of the Temple. 
Holy Spirit. The Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity. 
Homer (ho'mer). The great epic poet of Greece, who lived about 

1000 years B.C. 
Hosanna (•ho-san'na), save, we beseech. The cry of the Jews when 

they greeted Christ entering Jerusalem in triumph. 
Incarnation (in'kar-na'shun). The mystery of the divine and 

human natures in one person in Christ. 
Innocents (in'nd-cGnts). The children of Bethlehem put to death 

by order of Herod, in the hope that he might destroy the child 

Jesus. 
Irenaeus, St. (Ir'e-ne'us). A Greek bishop of Lyons in early ages. 
Isaias (I-za'yas), Jehovah's salvation. The son of Amos and one 

of the great prophets. 
Israel (is'ra-81), the pHnce that prevails with God. The surname 

of Jacob. It is also used to designate the whole race of 

Jacob's posterity. 
Issachar (Is'sa-kar), God hat/i 'jinn me my hire. The fifth son 

of Jacob and Lia. 
Itala (it'a-la). An early Latin version of the Scriptures, called 

also the Italic Version. 
Jacob, Well of (ja'kob), supplanter. A well in the territory pur- 
chased by Jacob. 
Jairus (ja'i-rus), whom Jehovah enlightens. A ruler in the 

Jewish synagogue whose child was healed by Christ. 
James (James), the supplanter. One of the three favorite apos- 
tles ; the Ijrol her of John and the son of Zebedee. 
James the Lesser. One of the apostles, son of Alpheus and 

Mary. 
Jeremias fjer'C-ml'as), whom Jehovah set up. One of the four 

great prophets. 



BIBLE DICTIONARY. 247 

Jericho (jeVi-ko), fragrance. An ancient city in the valley of 

the Jordan about six miles north of the Dead Sea. 
Jerome (j8-roin'), holy name. One of the Latin Fathers, the 

translator of the Bible into Latin. 
Jerusalem (j8-r6o'sa-16m), inheritance of peace. The capital of 

Palestine, thirty-two miles from the Mediterranean and 

eighteen miles from the river Jordan. 
Joachim (jo'a-kim), the Lord will set up. The father of the 

Blessed Virgin. 
Job (job), one persecuted. A famous patriarch of Hus in Edom, 

of great piety. He lived before the time of Abraham. 
John, the grace of God, Boanerges (bo'a-ner'gez), son of thun- 
der. The beloved disciple, son of Zebedee and brother of 

James. 
John the Baptist, t?ie grace or gift of Jehovah. The son of 

Zachary and Elizabeth and the herald of Christ. 
Jona (jo'na). The father of St. Peter, who was called Simon 

Bar- Jon a. 
Joppe (jop'pe), beauty. An ancient city on the Mediterranean, 

about thirty-five miles northwest of Jerusalem, now called 

Jaffa, 
Jordan (jor'dan), the descender. The principal river in Pal- 
estine, 120 miles long, rising in Mount Hermon and empty- 
ing into the Dead Sea. 
Joseph (jo'zef), he will add. The espoused husband of the Virgin 

Mary and foster-father of Christ ; a carpenterof Nazareth. 
Josue (jos'u-e), whose help is Jehovah. The son of Nun of the 

tribe of Ephraim, who became the successor of Moses. 
Judas Iscariot (ju'das Is-kar'i-ot). One of the twelve apostles ; 

the one who betrayed Christ. 
Judas or Thaddeus (thad'de-us), praise. One of the apostles, 

a brother of James ; called also Jude. 
Judea (ju-de'a). A province in Palestine, and applied to that 

part of Chanaan occupied by those who returned to Palestine 

after the captivity. 
Judith (ju'dith), Jewess. A Jewish maiden who saved Bethulia 

from the tyrant Hoi of ernes. 
Latin (lat'in). The language of the ancient Romans. 
Levi (le'vi), crown. The third son of Jacob and Lia, the head 

of one of the tribes of Israel. 



248 BIBLE DICTIONARY. 

Levites (le'vites). The descendants of Levi, who served the 

priests in the Temple. 
Leviticus (le-vit'i-kus). The third book of the Old Testament, 

taking its name from its contents. 
Lingard, Eev. John (lin'gard). An English priest who wrote 

the history of England. 
Magi (ma'ji), (in Persian) priests. The wise men who came from 

the East to Bethlehem to do homage to the Saviour. 
Malchus (maTkus), reigning. The high priest's servant whose 

ear was cut off by Peter in the garden, when Jesus was 

apprehended. 
Manna (man'na), what is this? The food supplied by God to 

the Jews in the wilderness. 
Mark (mark). One of the Evangelists, a disciple of St. Peter. 
Mary Magdalen (mag'da-len). The sinful woman of Jerusalem 

who was converted by Christ. 
Matthew (math'thu), gift of God. One of the twelve apostles ; 

the writer of the first Gospel. 
Mediterranean (mfid'i-ter-ra'ne-an), middle land. The Great 

Sea, as it is called in Scripture, enclosed by Europe, Asia, 

and Africa. 
Melcher (meTker). The name of one of the Magi who came to 

Bethlehem to adore Christ. 
Merom (me'rom), high place. The name of a lake in the north 

of Palestine, through which the Jordan runs. 
Messias (mes-sfas), Anointed One. Term applied to Christ as 

the One sent by God for man's redemption. 
Milner, Rev. John (mil'ner). A famous English priest who wrote 

a great work in defence of the Church. 
Miracle (mir'a-kl), wonder. A supernatural event brought 

about in nature by the power of God. 
Moses (mo'zez), drawn out. The great law-giver of the Jews, 

son of Amram and Jochabed of the tribe of Levi. 
Mount of Beatitudes (be-at'i-tiidz). The mountain on which 

Christ sat when He gave the great sermon on the Beatitudes. 
Nairn (na'im), beauty. A town in Galilee, now called Nein. 
Nathanael (na-than'a-el), gift of God. He was from Cana in 

Galilee— supposed to be the same as Bartholomew. 
Nazarenes (naz'a-renes). Residents of Nazareth ; also applied to 

followers of Jesus. 



BIBLE DIC'lIONARY. 249 

Nazareth (naz'a-rSth), separated. A town in Galilee about sixty- 
six miles from Jerusalem. 

Nazarite (naz'a-rite), to separate. One bound by vow especially 
to total abstinence from wine and liquors. 

Nabuzardan (nab'u-zar'dan), JYebo sends prosperity. A cap- 
tain of the bodyguard of Nebuchadonosor, the great Baby- 
lonian king. 

Nephthali (ngftha-ll), my wrestling. The territory given to 
the tribe descended from Nephthali, the fifth son of Jacob. 

Nicodemus (nik'o-de'nius), victory of the people. A ruler of the 
Jews, a Pharisee, who sought Christ and became His fol- 
lower. 

Nimrim (nim'rim), limpid. A stream of water in the land of 
Moab. 

Nisan (nl'san). Name of a Hebrew month, corresponding to our 
month of April. 

Numbers, Book of (nuui'bers). Fourth book of Moses, and so 
called because of the two censuses found recorded in it. 

Olives, Mount of. Same as Mount Olivet- 
Olivet, Mount (ol'i-vet). A noted mountain east of Jerusalem. 

Orientals (o-ri-Snt'als). Natives of the Orient or East. Applied 
to Eastern Christians of the Greek rite. 

Origen (or'i-jen). A Christian writer of Alexandria, a.d. 186- 
253. 

Palestine (pal'es-tln), a land of sojourners. The Holy Land, 
bounded on the north by Syria, on the east by the river 
Euphrates and the Great Desert, on the south by Negeb, and 
on the west by the Mediterranean. 

Parable (par'a-ble), comparison. Teaching by figures of speech. 

Pasch (pask). The feast of the Passover among the Jews— a 
term applied to Easter. 

Passover (pass'o-ver), passing over. The principal feast of the 
Jews, reminding them of the sparing of the families of the 
Israelites when the destroying angel killed the first-born of 
Egypt. 

Patriarch (pa'tre-ark), father of families. The head of each 
great family or tribe. It is also applied to the founder of the 
family. 

Paul (paul), little. An apostle, a native of Tarsus in Cilicia, 
who was converted to the faith by a miracle. 



250 BIBLE DIC TI OX ART. 

Pennyworth pSn ny-wurth). A Roman silver coin equivalent to 

about sixteen cents. A penny was a regular day's wages. 
Pentateuch, The (pen'ta-tnk), book divided into five parts. The 

name given to the first five books of Moses, found at the be- 
ginning of the Old Testament. 
Pentecost (pen'te-kost), fiftieth. A great feast among the Jews 

fifty days after the Passover, called Feast of Weeks. Also 

the day of the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles. 

now a feast celebrated seven weeks after Easter. 
Perea (per-e'a). A territory to the east of the Jordan between 

the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. 
Persia (peYshi-a), pure. A country in central Asia. 
Peter fpe'ter), stone or rock. The prince of the aposths. 
Pharisees (phar'i-sees), separated. A sect among the Jews. 
Philip phil ip), lover of horses. An apostle of Bethsaida. 
Phoenicia (fe-nish'ia). A country north of Palestine between 

the Lebanon Mountains and the Mediterranean. 
Pilate (pl'late). The sixth Roman procurator or governor of 

Judea. 
Pope Pius VI. A Roman Pontiff, ad. 1717-1799. 
Pope Pius VII. A Roman Pontiff, a.d. 1742-1 SCO. 
Presentation (pres'en-ta'shun>. The ceremony which the Jew- 
ish law required for every first-born male child forty days 

after birth. 
Primacy (prfma-sy i. first. It here refers to the Pope as the first 

principal or supreme bishop of the Christian Church. 
Proto-Canonical (pro'to-ka-uon'i-kl). Books of the First 

Canon. 
Ptolemy 'toi'e-my). One of the Egyptian kings of the Greek 

dynasty. 
Purification (pu'ri-fl-ka'shun >. A Jewish ceremony by which 

a Jewish mother was declared cleansed. 
Quarantania kwor an-tan'ya), fortieth. The mountain where it 

is said Christ permitted the great temptation. 
Rabbi (rab'bl), my master. A title of respect given by the Jews 

to the doctors of the law. 
Rachel (ra'chel), a etre. The daughter of Laban, the wife of 

Jacob, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. 
Rama inVrniO. hlgJi place. A city of the tribe of Benjamin 

near Jerusalem. 



BIBLE DICTIONARY. 251 

Rheims (remz). A dry of France where an English translation 

of the Xew Testament was made in 1583. 
Batik (robth), friend or beauty. A Moabite woman, the wife of 

Booz. Their son Obed was the father of Jesse, who was 

the father of David. Hence Bath is mentioned in the gene- 
alogy of Christ. 
Saddncees (sad'du-ceez). A religions sect among the Jews. 
Saied (sa-fed'). A city on a hill, seen from the mount on which 

Christ gave His discourse. 

(sa-ma'ri-a or sam'a-rTa). watch-post. The central 

province of Palestine, south of Galilee and north of Judea. 
(sa-mar i-tan). A native of Samaria. 
Samuel (sam'u-el). heard of God. A celebrated Hebrew prophet, 

and the last one of the judges of Israel. 
Sanhedrim (san'he-drim). with seats. The great council of the 

Jews. 
Scribes (skribsO writers. Writers among the Jews, copyists and 

rxr-:~Lirrs :: ~.l~ I?.~. 
Septnagint isep'tu-a-jlnti. seventy. The name given to the 

Lt.tt^ v T r5::i :: :.- '. ■".." Z-s:.- t —iz.-. \-:::.ir ::\.s ..^~:r~rl 

to be the work of seventy-two translators. 
Sichem (sTkem), shoulder. A town iu the valley between Mounts 

"--"- i : -. .:::._ :.Cri Is: Sieo'-rz:. 

Simeon (sim'e-onK obedient. A pious old man inspired by God 

to meet the parents : Jesus in the Temple, to take the 

Saviour in his arms and predict remarkable things of Him. 
Peter (sfmon peter). The chief of the apostles, whose 

name was Simon, afterwards changed to Peter. 

(sTnai). burning bush. The mountain on which Hoses re- 
ceived the Law. 
Solomon sol-o-mon . peaceful. A king of Israel, the son and 

successor of David, and called the wisest of men. 
Synagogue isin'a-gog), assembly. Meeting-place of the Jews. 
Synoptic (sin-dp'tik), urith riew. A general view of the whole 

gospel, or the principal parts of it. 
S-riL :-.\ a: :he time of Christ it was a Roman province. 

Temple (tem'ple). The chief placeaof worship among the Jews, 

erected upon Mount Moria. in Jerusalem. 
Thabor (ta'bor), height. A mountain of Palestine, on which 

Christ was transfigured. 



252 BIBLE DICTIONARY. 

Theophilus (the-of'i-lus), lover of God. A distinguished person 
to whom St. Luke addressed both his gospel and his book of 
the Acts of the Apostles. 

Thomas (tom'as), a twin. One of the twelve apostles, called also 
Didymus. 

Tiberius (tl-be'ri-us). A Roman emperor, the stepson and suc- 
cessor of Augustus, B.C. 42 to a.d. 37. 

Torah (to'ra). The Book of the Law among the Jews. 

Toulouse, Council of (tob'lobz). A city in France where a coun- 
cil of the Church was held in 1229. 

Transfiguration (trans-fig' u-ra'shiin). A miracle in the life of 
Christ which took place probably on the southern slope of 
Mount Iiermou or on Mount Thabor. 

Trent (tr?nt). A city in the Austrian Tyrol where one of the 
greatest councils of the Church was held, a.d. 1545-1563. 

Virgin Mary (ver'jin ma'ry), green, bitter. The name given to 
the Mother of Our Saviour. 

Vulgate (vul'gat). common, current text. Name given to the 
Latin version of the Scriptures, because of its common use in 
the Latin Church. 

Zabulon (zab'u-lon), a habitation. The sixth son of Jacob and 
Lia; also the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. 

Zachary (zak'a-ry), remembered by Jehovah. The husband of 
Elizabeth and the father of John the Baptist. 

Zacheus (zak-ke-us), pure. A rich Jew resident of Jericho, and 
a tax collector, with whom Christ spent a day. 

Zebedee (zBb'e-dee), Jehovah's gift. The husband of Salome 
and father of the apostles James the Greater and John. 

Zion, Mount of (zl'on or sl-on), dry, sunny mount. The south- 
western hill of Jerusalem. 



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II. Simeon. 
111. Eonjarr.in. 
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V Epiiraim. 

VI. Mar.asses. 

VII Issachar. 

VIII. Zabulon. 

IX. Aser. 

X. Nephtali. 

XI. Gad. 

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